BEND, Ore. -- Warm Springs fire managers have resumed their role overseeing the remaining battle against the White Lightning Complex of fires, now 95 percent contained by a fast-shrinking number of firefighters.

There's been no growth in the nearly 34,000-acre string of fires in the past two or three days, Ken Lydy of Warm Springs Fire Management said Sunday.

The firefighting force that once approached 1,000 is down to about 170, Lydy said, but officials are holding off on declaring full containment until they can be sure all lines will hold.

An incident management team ended its role on the blazes as the Deschutes River reopened to recreational use on Friday.

Friday info:

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity really helped fire crews Friday on the nearly 34,000-acre White Lightning Complex of fires on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, pushing the fires to 90 percent containment'

A 32-mile stretch of the Deschutes River reopened for recreation Friday morning for the first time in nearly a week.

Winds kicked up as predicted Thrsday, but fire lines held strong and the blazes were 70 percent contained before sundown Thursday, officials said, announcing that the river shut last Saturday night would reopen at 6 a.m. Friday.

Thursday's wind did fan some unburned fuels in the interior of the Youther Fire, while ground and air crews put out a small spot fire east of the Youther Fire in the Eagle Creek drainage.

Crews were busy Thursday securing fire lines, mopping up and patrolling for smokes as winds began to increase, testing the lines on the fire that has blackened 54 square miles in the past week. But firefighting forces were being released as the situation improved, dropping to 647 firefighters and support personnel as of Friday.

A local management team will resume command of the firefight Saturday morning.

"Warm Springs Fire Management will be left with the crews and equipment they need to put this thing to bed," said Incident Commander Carl West.

Ironically, smoke from the burnout and from the Scott Mtn. Fire west of McKenzie Pass helped shade the Warm Springs fires and benefited the firefighting effort Wednesday, officials said. That kept temperatures 20 degrees cooler than in surrounding areas.

"Things are really looking good out there," said Ray Weiss, an operations section chief. "All the hard work done over the last five days has really helped tie this thing together."

Meanwhile, White Lightning Complex crews responded to several growing fires in the southwest corner of the reservation, north of Mount Jefferson.

Wednesday info:

Firefighters with drip torches ignited a successful major burnout operation Tuesday on the south and southeast sides of the Youther Fire, the largest and most serious of several wildfires on the reservation north of Warm Springs.

The firefighting force apparently has reached its peak, dropping to 856 firefighters and support personnel Wednesday.

Cooler temperatures are due later in the week - but with strong winds that will test the lines Thursday, officials said. If the lines hold through that wind, many firefighters will be able to move on, starting Friday, officials said -- and important to the local economy, the closed stretch of the Deschutes River could reopen Friday morning.

Despite the steep, rugged terrain, no firefighters have been injured on the line, a record termed "fantastic" by Incident Commander Carl West.

Tuesday info:

The goal in the operation that began around 10 a.m. Tuesday was to secure the southern perimeter of the Youther Fire, ahead of warmer temperatures and a growing instability in the atmosphere that could send the week-old wildfire racing into new areas.

By Tuesday evening, the group of four fires had moved to 30 percent containment.

Fire information officer Peter Frenzen said the burnout shouldn't prompt concern.

"It's just a consequence of burning out this area of unburned fuels and will help us secure the fire better in the days ahead," he said.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters and support personnel remained Tuesday on the White Lightning Complex of four fires, which have burned 27,109 acres and are 10 percent contained.

But there was one good sign of progress, as the first demobilization of resources from the blazes was set for Tuesday, including six crews, a dozen engines and six water tenders. Some could head for other fires, officials said, noting that there have been no injuries in fighting the fires.

Structural protection crews are still on hand to protect about two dozen structures that could be at risk from the blaze, Frenzen said. Over the weekend, the fire burned a cabin, outbuilding and compost toilet structure in the area of Dant, off the reservation.

On Monday, the Youther Fire jumped the line near the mouth of Nena Creek, four miles north of the reservation, but crews had a new line around it by the end of the day, officials said. It also pushed across the line near Juniper Flat, but was held in check by Juniper Flat Fire District crews.

Three heavy-lift helicopters, one medium-lift, and two light helicopters were on the fires, with two other heavy helicopters available from other fires if needed.

A new fire was spotted Monday on the reservation, near Olallie Lake, and a helicopter helped tackle the blaze, hard to reach in very steep terrain.

Be sure to check our latest story on the 325-acre Scott Mountain Fire, west of McKenzie Pass.

Also a Red Flag Warning for very dangerous fire-weather conditions was in place Tuesday in the Cascades and forested areas to the west, as well as near the Columbia River Gorge.

To the east of Central Oregon, a new fire on state-protected land six miles east of Dayville and north of Highway 26 broke out Monday but was 100 percent lined at 48 acres by 6:30 p.m., with containment expected Tuesday. Aircraft and fire crews rushed to the scene to protect a home and other structures on the ODFW's Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area.

Monday info:

Officials said the southern perimeter of the fire remained unsecured as officials focused on keeping the blaze from spreading to the north or jumping the Deschutes River to the east.

Despite a closure of more than 30 miles of the Deschutes due to fire danger and water-scooping helicopters, Lynette Ripley, BLM manager for the lower Deschutes, noted that leaves plenty of river to float.

John Odegard of Deschutes River Adventures said Monday the fire has not been affecting any of his business -- but if it did, the first priority is keeping customers safe

Sunday info:

Burning embers pushed by 30 mph winds from the west made for some challenges Sunday, but the cooler temperatures and higher humidity proved helpful in slowing the flames' advance.

"There's been some growth,' said fire information officer Tom Berglund. "It's been backing down into some canyons. The wind was eddying around a bit."

One of seven fires burning on the reservation grew rapidly Saturday and reached the Deschutes River, where a closed stretch left rafters stranded for a time.

On Sunday afternoon, a hotshot crew and a heavy helicopter's water drops quickly tackled one small spot fire that broke out east of the river Sunday, keeping it below a quarter-acre, Berglund said.

The firefighting force grew to more than 900 as eight cabins remained evacuated, after a cabin and outbuilding at Johnson Flat were destroyed by fire Saturday as the fire roared to the east, up to the river. A BLM compost toilet facility along the river also burned.

"We want to get the northeast corner of the reservation tightened up," fire spokesman Peter Frenzen said Sunday night. "Especially, we do not want the fire to go east," across the river, where more homes lie.

The fire had one heavy helicopter assigned to scoop water onto the flames, but three were brought more came in to help on Sunday. Frenzen also said a separate "branch" of the firefighting forces was being set up at Maupin, to make sure no spot fires move closer to the populated area after the earlier scare from two fires to the north and southwest.

Saturday info:

Fires on the northern end of the White Lightning Complex burned together Saturday and were driven east toward the river by winds gusting to 30 mph. The blazes were burning in dry grass, sagebrush, juniper and pockets of pine and oak in rocky, rugged terrain.

The Youther Fire burned the structures in the Dant area, at the mouth of Eagle Creek and the Deschutes River, about 15 miles east of Simnasho, while eight other at-risk cabins in the area were evacuated, said fire information officer Lauren Maloney.

No other structures were threatened, she said, adding that the Kah-Nee-Ta Resort-Casino remained open for business.

Because of the Youther Fire’s growth, homes on the east side of the Deschutes near Dant were evacuated late Saturday by Oregon State Police troopers, assisted by BLM law enforcement.

A 32-mile stretch of the lower Deschutes River remained closed, between the Trout Creek Recreational Area and Harpham Flat, due to active fire close to the river, Frenzen said.

However, two stretches of river are now open again to rafters on either side of that closure -- from the Warm Springs boat ramp north to Trout Creek, where rafters have to take out, and farther downstream (north), between Harpham Flat and Maupin, Frenzen said.

More than 100 rafters were camping upriver of the fire Saturday night, and police worked through the night to contact them and ask that they camp downriver, away from the fire, Maloney said. The stranded rafters were monitored Sunday as they floated to safer locations downriver.

"They (authorities) tried to contact the rafters who were within the closed portion of the river," Berglund said Sunday afternoon. "Right now, it is still closed, so they are telling people not to put in."

"And of course, that is a concern to everybody, because it's the end of summer, and people want to go into the river," he added. "We understand that, and certainly we won't keep it closed any longer than it has to be."

The fires were among dozens across the region sparked by lightning from thunderstorms last Tuesday.

The costs of the firefighting effort continue to rise as well -- nearly $12 million for the latest round of Oregon wildfires.

The latest estimate for the White Lightning fires is $2.3 million, while the now-contained Lower Deschutes Complex cost $1.6 million to put out. The Oak Flat Fire west of Grants Pass has cost $7 million to battle so far, while the View Lake Fire, near Olallie Lake on the Mt. Hood National Forest, has burned 201 acres, is 60 percent contained and cost $1 million to extinguish.

Fire activity lessened overnight Saturday as the winds dropped and humidity increased. Firefighting efforts Sunday were focused on the northeast side of the river, as firefighters were supported by water drops from two helicopters and retardant drops by air tankers.

Highway 3 north of Simnasho, closed for a time, has reopened, with mop-up and patrol continuing on blazes on the west side of the highway.

There was concern the fire would jump the Deschutes overnight, but that apparently hasn’t happened -- at least, not yet. “I understand it has approached the river, burned down to it in a couple places, but the relative humidity came up and slowed the fire behavior,” Maloney said.

Just as Maupin residents were breathing easier and came off pre-evacuation alert Saturday, about 20 homes on the northern end of the Warm Springs reservation got a knock on the door and a warning to be ready to leave quickly, should wildfires in the area move closer.

Segment 2 of the lower Deschutes reopened to recreational activities Saturday morning, and campgrounds closed for two days due to the firefighting work reopened.

Residents of 19 homes east and southeast of Simnasho, along the S-300 and S-310 roads, were being advised to be ready to leave in case fires grow quickly.

Gusty winds battered the fire lines Friday night, with active burning reported in dry grass, sage, juniper and pockets of pine and oak in rocky, rugged terrain.

The Northwest Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team was called in to manage the White Lightning Complex, with an operations center at the Warm Springs Fire Management Complex.

There was good news from the lines of the Lower Deschutes Complex, where the four fires totaling 9,304 acres reached full containment Sunday night, allowing firefighters and other resources to shift to the growing blazes on the nearby Warm Springs reservation. More than 300 firefighters remained on the fires Sunday.

The Devil’s Half Acre burned 1,245 acres, the Fall Canyon Fire blackened 2,702 acres, the Oak Canyon Fire was stopped at 640 acres and the Tygh Ridge blaze burned 4,717 acres.

Structural task forces were demobilized Friday on the D. Harris Fire, five miles southwest of Maupin -- not part of the Lower Deschutes Complex because it began on state-protected private lands.

Meanwhile, in southwest Oregon, almost 1,000 firefighters made more progress Monday on the now-4,363-acre Oak Flat Fire, about 20 miles west of Grants Pass, which was reported 65 percent contained.

Reporter Joe Burns contributed to this story