Officials in Oregon's far-east Malheur County are asking the National Guard to consider using explosives to blast away a mile-long ice floe blocking parts of the Snake River, according to an emergency proclamation obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

That kind of operation has never been done by the Oregon National Guard before, said Cory Grogan, spokesman for the state Office of Emergency Management.

"It's like anything else -- it needs to be analyzed and discussed," Grogan said. "We're coordinating with the Army Corps of Engineers to see if that's even a possibility."

County officials on Wednesday asked Gov. Kate Brown to declare a state of emergency for the area, citing dangerous levels of snow and ice and dwindling survival supplies. That's when they made their request for explosives.

Bryan Hockaday, a spokesman for the governor, said Brown has been briefed on the situation in Malheur County and is directing her staff and state emergency management officials to "evaluate the recommendations of local emergency managers." Brown declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon.

Though it may be amusing to think of blowing up a mile-long block of ice, the danger it poses is no laughing matter.

Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, whose legislative district covers Malheur County, said the area may never have seen such horrendous winter conditions.

More than 30 onion sheds, a Malheur County Fairgrounds building and seven commercial buildings have collapsed from ice, according to the county's emergency declaration.

Looming ice jams pose a serious flood risk on the Snake River, Payette River and Malheur River. When the eventual melt arrives, some residents near the riverbanks may need to evacuate to avoid floodwaters. Residents along the Snake River -- including in neighboring Payette, County Idaho -- have been given an evacuation notice.

"If we get a flood event we're in real trouble," said Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario. "This is not a joke. This is bad."

Ice melt and snow shovels are all but unavailable as retailers are sold out. Inmates are being used to fill sandbags at one county subdivision.

The unusually bad cold snap is expected to continue in eastern Oregon. Temperatures are forecast to stay below 20 degrees and snow is likely to hit the area next week.

-- Gordon Friedman

gfriedman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8209