News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The cigarette-sparked fire was first reported on July 8 burning in very difficult terrain above a lava flow near Candle Creek. It was contained by July 14 at 1,200 acres.
Then the humidity dropped to less than 10percent and the fire wandered to a point where afternoon winds blew it past the large lava flow, previously thought to be an adequate fire break, on July 26. The blaze hopped to a slope of pine trees on the Warm Springs Reservation and ran quickly uphill.
Two spot fires were ignited by flying embers a mile ahead of the fire on the reservation and a third three miles ahead of the fire on east side of the Metolius on Green Ridge. The spot fires were quickly extinguished.
Forest Service firefighters credit a "burn-out" of wood and brush in front of the main fire with allowing them to get ahead of the blaze.
Crews had a line around the fire on August 2 and are now in the mopping-up phase once again. On Monday, August 5, five crews were still watching the lines and were to be reduced to three 20-firefighter crews on Tuesday.
The Forest Service is demobilizing food preparation facilities and showers at their main camp at Allingham Guard station near the Metolius River. The fire patrol will be moved from to the Rodeo Grounds at Warm Springs. Several engines and a helicopter will be used to keep hot spots from flaring up again.
As of August 5, cost to contain both phases of the fire was estimated at $5.2 million. At one point there were 837 people involved in fighting the fire and with logistics. Five helicopters dumped water on smoldering trees.
The earlier decision to allow the fire to sputter around in the wilderness was made to protect the safety of firefighters in an area of thick downed material and reduce impact of fire suppression on the delicate terrain.
This time the Forest Service plans "100 percent" mop-up of hot spots within the fire perimeter to prevent a rekindling and potential break-out of the fire.
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