News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
According to the U. S. Forest Service, the fire had grown to 3,648 acres by Monday, July 29.
Three significant spot fires blew out nearly three miles ahead of the main blaze, two west of the Metolius River on tribal lands of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and one on the east side of the Metolius near Castle Rock.
"That of course made us very uncomfortable," said Mike Ferris, fire information officer with the Forest Service. But immediate response had the spot fires contained within a line by Monday.
The Jefferson Fire originally started on July 8, probably from a cigarette left on the Jefferson Lakes Trail above the Metolius River. It was first held to around 1,200 acres when the Forest Service halted suppression efforts, which had already cost from $2.5 to $3 million.
"They stopped suppression because they had it contained (on July 14). They had it mopped up 50 feet within the fire line, and kept three or four crews on it," said Ferris.
The fire was being patrolled by four crews because there was concern it could burn all summer long in the wilderness and represented an ongoing threat.
And that's what happened. Temperatures climbed, the humidity dropped, and cool air rushed down the snow-laden flanks of Mt. Jefferson to fan the flames back to life.
"Those down-slope winds, with humidity in single digits, found a fuel island in the fire and spotted over the line. The fire grew 2,000 new acres on Friday evening," said Ferris.
In addition to fire fighters, a national fire management team with about 38 members was brought in, along with a couple of the "type 1" helicopters, large craft with twin rotors.
Saturday brought cooler temperatures and rising humidity. Fire fighters used this respite to burn out fuels between the fire and the two- to four-foot fire line, much of that scraped by hand.
Most of the early work was focused on keeping the fire to the west side of the Metolius River and limiting growth of the fire on the Warm Springs reservation.
"We try to reduce the impact of a fire on an adjacent landowner. They (The Warm Springs tribes) don't want a fire on their property. They don't want it to burn up their resources," said Ferris.
He did not know if the Forest Service would be liable for the damage caused on the reservation. The Warm Springs Tribes were involved with suppression efforts, he said.
"We have created a unified command and the tribes are part of our overall management organization. We seek their input, involvement and expertise. They know their land and they know how they want it treated," Ferris said.
The fire on the reservation was completely lined by dozers.
Another priority will be preventing the fire from spreading out of the wilderness over the south boundary. Fire fighters planned to be working near Sugar Pine Ridge, the weakest part of the southern line, over the next couple of days.
The Candle Creek and Bridge 99 Campgrounds have been closed. The Mt. Jefferson Wilderness remains open, although some trail closures may occur.
On Monday, the Forest Service had 628 personnel fighting the fire, including eight hot-shot crews from as far away as Mendocino County in California and 107 "overhead" or support personnel; 27 engines, two bull dozers, four helicopters and nine water tenders.
Weather was expected to assist fire fighters for the rest of this week, although the Forest Service has found fighting the fire in the lava fields to be a dangerous, difficult task.
Fire fighters expected to have a line around the fire, called containment, by July 31 at 6 p.m. They hoped to have the fire controlled, with little chance of escape, by August 2.
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