Park Meadow smolders

Firefighters contained the 700-acre Park Meadow blaze 13 miles southwest of Sisters on Saturday, August 31.

The 500 troops from Fort Carson, Colorado who were called in to help battle the Three Sisters Wilderness wildfire were redeployed to the Summit fire in the Umatilla National Forest early Saturday morning.

Two crews remain to mop up and watch hot spots. Base camp was moved from the lower sno-park on Three Creeks Road to Allingham Guard Station where firefighters are also stationed to keep an eye on the Jefferson Fire that broke out in July.

Firefighters expect to watch both fires until "the first snow flies," according to information officer Steve Weldon.

The Park Meadow wildfire was ignited by a lightning strike on Friday, August 23. It took nearly 800 firefighters to hem in the pesky blaze, including the Fort Carson Army troops called in to assist Forest Service firefighters stretched thin to cover fires throughout the west, including the Skeleton Fire in Bend that destroyed 19 homes.

By Saturday morning all roads accessing the Three Creeks area were reopened, including Road 16 to Three Creeks Lake and Road 15. Weldon asked that people heading up those roads keep out of the way of crew trucks that are still using them.

Area trails, however, remain closed because hot spots still pose a threat to hikers and campers. Campgrounds at Three Creeks are open, though restrictions on keeping campfires within fire rings are strictly enforced, Weldon said.