News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 52
Gabrielle Carnavan, 19, of Sisters was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident on Suttle Lake Road on Monday evening, July 22. Carnavan's friend Nichole Beukelman, 17, was following Carnavan's car leaving Scout Lake after swimming. Beukelman witnessed the accident. According to Oregon State Police reports, the right wheels on Carnavan's 1986 Ford Mustang left the roadway and hit the gravel. The driver overcorrected, the car shot across the roadway and stuck a large pine tree, OSP reported. Beukelman said she stopped an... Full story
Bishop Robert Vasa (left) welcomed Father Jim Logan to Sisters. Parishioners officially welcomed Father Jim Logan as the new priest at St. Edward the Martyr Catholic Church in Sisters on Sunday, July 21. Bishop Robert Vasa of the Diocese of Baker installed Father Logan in his new position. The ceremony was followed by a reception at the church. Father Logan succeeds Father Thomas Faucher.... Full story
Sunset filtered by smoke from Cache Mountain fire Lightning strikes late Tuesday afternoon, July 23, touched off a wildfire on Cache Mountain some 18 miles west of Sisters. The blaze quickly sent a column of smoke into the air that turned purple against the sunset and drifted north and east on light winds. According to Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch in Prineville, the fire was 10 acres at 8 p.m. Tuesday. However, it was obvious from Tollgate that the fire was moving down... Full story
Sunset filtered by smoke from Cache Mountain fire The Cache Mountain fire some 18 miles west of Sisters had burned 634 acres by Thursday morning, July 25, according to an aerial infrared survey Wednesday evening. Lightning strikes late Tuesday afternoon, July 23, touched off the blaze, which quickly sent a column of smoke into the air as local residents watched the flames creep down the eastern slope of the ridge. According to Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch in... Full story
- City Council Meeting 7 p.m., 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, Sisters City Hall. 549-6022. - School Board Meeting 7 p.m., 1st Monday each month, high school lecture/drama room. 549-8521. - Black Butte School District Board of Directors meets 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., Black Butte School. 595-6203. - Sisters - Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets the 2nd Monday each month, 8 a.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 549-0771. - Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD meets for drill every Monday, 7... Full story
Camp Tamarack was evacuated on Thursday afternoon, July 25, as the Cache Mountain fire approached within a mile to a mile-and-a-half of the recreational facility. According to Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch, the evacuation was a precautionary measure, since the camp houses animals, including horses, that should be moved out of a fire area in as calm and deliberate a manner as possible. There were no children at the camp; evacuees were staff members. The recreational... Full story
The Cache Mountain fire grew to approximately 700 acres by Friday morning, July 26. The fire is burning about 2.5 miles south of Suttle Lake. Firefighting equipment from throughout the region has been assigned to the fire, as firefighters work to get a handle on multiple blazes across the state. Camp Tamarack was evacuated on Thursday afternoon, July 25, as the Cache Mountain fire approached within a mile to a mile-and-a-half of the recreational facility. According to Central... Full story
Stiffening winds with gusts up to 15 to 20 miles per hour pushed the Cache Mountain fire to the northeast on Friday afternoon, July 26. Cache Mountain lies 2.5 miles southwest of Suttle Lake, about 17 miles west of Sisters. The fire's spread was gradual and, according to fire information officers stationed at Sisters High School, there has not been a serious blow-up. "The fire has spread to the northeast, but nothing out of the ordinary for the conditions out there," said one... Full story
Sisters, Saturday, July 27, 2002 -- The Cache Mountain fire, burning some 11 miles northwest of Sisters, grew to approximately 1,900 acres, with wind-driven spot fires forming on the northeast and southeast flanks of the fire. According to Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch, retardent tankers hit the eastern edge of the fire with repeated drops in order to slow the fire's spread. Fire crews and equipment are moving into the area from other fires in Oregon. Three 20-person... Full story
Sisters, Sunday, July 28, 10 a.m. -- Fire officials are keeping an eye on an imaginary "green line" between the Black Butte Ranch boundary and the Cache Mountain fire, which has covered about 2,100 acres and in some places is about one-half mile from the Ranch. If the fire reaches the green line fire officials may call for evacuation (see Black Butte Ranch evacuation plans). However, fire officials stress that these are contingency plans. No evacuation orders or warnings have been issued. Bob Sandman, an incident team leader... Full story
If fire officials decide to evacuate Black Butte Ranch, a reverse 9-1-1 recorded phone message will be sent alerting residents about evacuation plans. A siren will sound to let people know to evacuate their homes. There will be approximately six hours to evacuate. Evacuation tape should be prominently displayed around the home so that emergency personnel know that no one is home. If tape is not available a large beach towel or towels should prominently be displayed outside the home. The Oregon Department of Transportation... Full story
Sunday, 12 noon -- Although the Cache Mountain fire grew to 3,300 acres overnight, firefighters were optimistic that they would get the upper hand on the blaze by mid-day Sunday, July 28. "We're poised right at the turning point today," said Incident Commander Bob Sandman. The fire has burned in dry timber -- much of it dead -- to the west of Black Butte Ranch. Winds kicked up spot fires on Saturday evening and caused the fire to run to the northeast, toward Highway 20.... Full story
Sunday, 3:30 p.m. -- Wind-driven spot fires on Black Butte Ranch during the afternoon of Sunday, July 28, forced the evacuation of a portion of the resort community 10 miles west of Sisters. At 4:30 p.m.,the evacuation expanded from a partial to total evacuation of the Ranch. Radio chatter indicates that one structure may be burning. One officer required oxygen for smoke inhalation. Highway 20 has been closed. This will allow vehicles to exit the Ranch. Vehicles will only be... Full story
Sisters, 6:30 p.m. July 28 -- At least two homes have been lost at Black Butte Ranch, and the Ranch has been 80 percent evacuated. Two others thought to have been burning were saved. The State Conflagration Act was invoked by the governor at 4:37 p.m. and as a result, firefighters and equipment were headed to Sisters from the Willamette Valley. Those being evacuated are asked to check in with the Red Cross at 541-382-2142, even if they do not plan to stay at the shelter. This allows friends and family to be assured of the... Full story
Gov. Kitzhaber arrives in Sisters to view the Cache Mountain fire. (by Eric Dolson) Firefighters putting out spot fires at Black Butte Ranch. (by Jim Cornelius) Highway 20 remains closed. (by Jim Cornelius) A tanker drops fire retardant on the Cache mountain fire. (by Bruce Merrell) Aerial view of the Cache Mountain fire. Suttle Lake is visible to the left of the smoke. Black Butte is visible in the distance. (by Bruce Merrell) Cattle were evacuated from Black Butte Ranch on Sunday. (by Bruce Merrell) Helicopter and bucket... Full story
Sisters, 7:30 p.m., July 28 -- Both homes lost to fire at Black Butte Ranch were on the northwest corner of the property, probably on Fiddleneck, as the fire exploded in the early afternoon on Sunday. There are another 84 structures "at risk" from flames that surged onto the Ranch. Sometime between 1:30 and 2 p.m. the fire "blew up" very fast. "It advanced like a fire storm. There was no time to do anything," said Black Butte Police Chief Gil Zaccaro. Deschutes County Sheriff Les Stiles said "what was a spot fire was... Full story
Sisters--8:30 a.m. July 29-- The Cache Fire that has destroyed two houses at Black Butte Ranch is still a threat, despite "lying down" over night. The forecast on Monday is for hot and dry 86 degree temperatures and 20 percent humidity, according to the Forest Service. Winds were expected to be 10 to 15 miles per hour later in the afternoon. These conditions are very similar to those on Sunday when the fire exploded past lines and into Black Butte Ranch. The Forest Service expects the fire to spread east and southeast,... Full story
Sisters, 9:45 a.m. July 29 -- Homes saved at Black Butte Ranch were very close to homes that burned. Only great effort on the part of Black Butte Ranch firefighters, standing in "defensible space," saved them. The fire scorched the ground and torched 30-foot trees into charred sticks all the way to their tops. The edges of Fiddleneck, an 18 foot wide one-way street, melted. "This was a regular wall of fire," said Black Butte Ranch Fire Chief Ed Sherrell. Sherrell said firefighters "really thought we had a handle on this... Full story
Governor Kitzhaber arrives in Sisters to view the Cache Mountain fire. (by Eric Dolson) Sisters, 11:30 a.m. July 29 -- Governor Kitzhaber assured firefighters and local residents that the State of Oregon is putting out a maximum effort to battle the Cache Mountain fire, which burned two homes on Black Butte Ranch on Sunday, July 28. "We are doing absolutely all we can to deal with this extremely difficult fire season," Kitzhaber said at a briefing on Monday morning, July 29,... Full story
Sisters, noon, July 29 -- Black Butte Ranch will remain evacuated until fire officials are absolutely confident that the Cache Mountain fire will not blow up again and ignite fires on the Ranch. That could be a couple of days yet, according to fire incident commander Bob Sandman. "We're going to be very methodical about moving people back in," he said at a briefing on Monday morning, July 29. Highway 20 remains closed from the Santiam junction to milepost 95 just west of Siste... Full story
BBR Police Chief Gil Zaccaro, BBR Fire Chief Ed Sherrell and Ranch manager Loy Hemly discuss return plans with BBR residents. Sisters, 5 p.m., July 29 -- Portions of Black Butte Ranch could be reopened as early as Wednesday -- if the fire situation does not worsen. Ranch officials said that residents of all areas EXCEPT the Golf Homes and Spring Homes could be allowed back on Wednesday. Any return to the Ranch depends on the fire situation. BBR Police Chief Gil Zaccaro... Full story
Sisters, 6 p.m., July 29 -- As of Monday afternoon, firefighters were battling the Cache Mountain fire to a standstill. There was no repeat of the wind-driven spot fires that pushed the conflagration onto Black Butte Ranch on Sunday, July 29. Winds stayed relatively calm, though conditions were hot and dry. The fire burned hot on the slopes of Cache Mountain itself, where terrain is rugged and fires hard to fight. There was also fire activity reported on the southern flank of... Full story
Sisters, 8:30 p.m., July 29 -- The Cache Mountain fire was 60 percent contained on Monday evening, July 29. Fire officials estimate that the fire will be fully contained on Thursday, August 1. The wind stayed down on Monday, allowing fire crews to shore up containment lines around the fire. With better mapping information, fire officials reduced the acreage estimate on the blaze to 3,700. The fire was still burning actively on the south and east flank, according to fire... Full story
Sisters, Tuesday, July 30, 8:00 a.m. -- Firefighters took advantage of low winds and powerful air support to make a strong push against the Cache Mountain fire on Monday, July 29. The fire was reported as 60 percent contained, but firefighters remained wary as the weather poised to change. The Tuesday forecast called for higher winds with gusts up to 25 miles per hour as an onshore flow entered the region. Humidity levels were forecast to be low. Those conditions pose a... Full story
Sisters, Tuesday, July 30, 10:30 a.m. -- Highway 20 is now open to two-lane traffic, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. The speed limit through the six-mile stretch of highway in the Cache Mountain fire area is 35 miles per hour. Motorists should be aware of flaggers stopping traffic during helicopter operations near the Camp Sherman junction. ODOT encouraged motorists to drive with caution through the Cache Mountain fire area and also continue using Highway 26 and Highway 58 as alternate routes over the... Full story
