Suspicious fires burn near Sisters

The Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District and the Oregon Department of Forestry responded to a reported brush fire along the south side of Highway 20 between Fryrear and Plainview roads on Sunday, October 6, at 9:30 a.m.

Upon arrival, they found two small fires burning about 90 yards apart along the side of the road, according to Chuck Cable, Cloverdale RFPD Fire Chief.

"The larger was about 60 feet in diameter and involved a big juniper. The smaller one was 30 feet by 15 feet," said Cable.

Cable said the fires were far enough off the highway to rule out exhaust or heat from a catalytic converter as an ignition source.

Because of the suspicious nature of the fires, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department responded and an arson investigator was called. The fires were investigated jointly by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department and the Cloverdale RFPD. Both agencies are involved with the Central Oregon Arson Task Force.

Investigators determined the fires were human-caused and of suspicious origin. The sheriff's department is requesting that anyone who was in the area and saw any type of suspicious activity, such as persons on foot or vehicles alongside the roadway, call the sheriff's department at 541-388-6655.