The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Fire managers located a new lightning start within Mount Washington Wilderness on the Sisters Ranger District of Deschutes National Forest that is visible from Sisters, parts of Highway 20, and surrounding areas.

According to Central Oregon Fire Information, Incident 847 is about 1/10th of an acre, located on the eastern slope of Mount Washington, and smoldering in a hemlock patch. The fire was first reported Thursday at 7:30 p.m. but was not visible due to rains in the area. The fire was located Friday afternoon.

Because the fire is located within a designated wilderness, fire managers are assessing how best to engage the fire at this point. The Sisters Ranger District wishes to let recreationists and surrounding communities know the fire is being actively assessed to determine the best options for control.

The fire is located within the Lake George Fire scar, and surrounded by the Shadow Lake and Cache Mountain Fire scars, and lava flows that would limit fire spread to the east. The fire does not currently or in the foreseeable future pose a threat to any values at risk, according to fire managers.

More information will be made available as Forest Service fire managers develop a strategy for engaging the fire.

For current Central Oregon wildfire and prescribed fire information visit http://www.centraloregonfire.org or follow on Twitter: @CentralORFire.