Lightning torches forest near Santiam Pass

Lightning sparked a 150-acre blaze Wednesday, August 19, less than a mile north of Highway 20 near Santiam Pass.

The latest round of thunderstorms sparked the "Square Fire" three miles south-southeast of Three Fingered Jack on the border of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. The fire was named for its origin approximately 1/4-mile west of Square Lake.

Forest officials evacuated the Round Lake Christian Camp Wednesday evening and closed Round Lake itself to all dispersed camping. Square, Booth and Long Lakes were also cleared of campers, while the Pacific Crest and Round Lake trailheads and Forest Service Road 1210 were closed to all traffic.

According to Mark Rapp, Assistant Fire Management Officer with the Sisters Ranger District, Glen Corbett at the Black Butte Lookout reported the fire at approximately 6:30 p.m. Rapp happened to be checking on the status of the weather at the precise moment the lightning struck.

"We didn't think we were going to get anything out of the storm," Rapp explained. "While I was on the phone with (Glen), she saw a lightning strike near Suttle Lake, then I got a call from Dave Moyer at Sisters-Camp Sherman (RFPD), saying they had responded to a fire two miles west of Santiam Pass."

Corbett then reported a column of smoke developing on the pass.

"The fire was showing flames within 5-10 minutes of the (lightning) blast," Rapp said. "Her initial report of flames from the fire lookout told me this fire was going to go big on us."

Rapp headed up the pass to assess the situation and stopped to view the fire at milepost 82, just a half mile from the summit.

"The fire initially started on a southwest (facing) slope near the Scout Lake trailhead," he said. "A southwest wind pushed it to the top of the ridge; then it 'spotted' over to the other side."

Rapp checked on the availability of retardant-carrying planes and started initial attack crews enroute.

"I ordered air tankers when I determined (the fire) wasn't in wilderness. If it starts in wilderness, we have to get authorization from the (Forest) Supervisor to use helicopters, retardant, or any other any mechanized equipment that's not normally allowed in (these areas of) the forest."

The two Redmond-based air tankers dumped one load of retardant each just before dark on Wednesday. Rapp's first ground crew, the Prineville Hotshots arrived Wednesday evening, and three additional crews arrived just before midnight.

Hotshot teams include 20 highly trained personnel functioning as a line-building crew, "a ground resource to provide high-intensity support," according to Rapp.

"We continued with the strategy of flanking the fire throughout the night, knowing six more additional crews were on their way," he said.

Thursday's daylight gave the firefighters a different perspective.

"In the morning we started seeing more clearly where the fire was, and we realized we had several hundred 'spots' on the northern portion of the fire. It had already burned (northeast) over the ridge overnight," Rapp said.

Rod Chaffee, manager of the Central Oregon Inter-agency Dispatch Center, reported that the fire had grown to between 50 and 100 acres by Thursday morning.

"By 10 a.m. (Thursday) we started seeing increased fire behavior, and around 10 or 10:30 a.m. I ordered retardant to keep the fire from acting so vigorously," Rapp said.

"Fire activity continued to increase, and about 11 a.m., we pulled (ground) crews into a safe position and allowed the (fire) to make its run, while we continued to run retardant on it all day."

According to T.J. Johannsen, Incident Information Officer at the dispatch center, the Square Fire headed toward the Willamette National Forest Thursday morning.

"It took a run to the west and they closed Craig and Berley Lakes," Johannsen said.

Three miles to the southwest, Hoodoo ski area Vice President and General Manager Michael Obymako was philosophical about the approaching blaze.

"If we are threatened, we will decide what to take," he said. "If it's going to come through, it's going to come through." Obymako said, "The Forest Service said it isn't any threat to us this afternoon, with a natural fire break as wide as Highway 20."

At approximately 1 p.m., two heavy-lift helicopters, each capable of carrying 600-800 gallons of water, joined the scene to knock down hot spots. A smaller helicopter arrived later to assist with fire reconnaissance, Rapp said.

Up to five different aircraft flew over the blaze at once, including two of three tankers deployed to the fire, one of three lead planes, the "Air Attack" supervisor, and two of three helicopters.

As the fire gained momentum, Rapp reevaluated the district's management capabilities.

"About 1 p.m., the fire was getting outside our span of control and I made the recommendation that we call in the Central Oregon Interagency Management Team," Rapp said.

About 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, Rapp turned the reins over to Incident Commander to Mike Benefield, Paulina Station Manager with the BLM in Prineville.

Despite the expanded team, Johannsen reported that, by Friday morning, the fire had grown to over 150 acres.

Thunderstorms continued through Saturday night. However, the absence of anticipated winds allowed crews to gain on the fire. Rapp estimated the fire was 90 percent contained as of Friday night.

According to Fire Information Officer Keith Clinton, the Square Fire was declared contained at p.m. Saturday, August 22.

The blaze was officially documented at 150 acres and engaged 240 personnel over the four-day period.

Clinton explained that the fire was would likely be turned over to the Sisters Ranger District Monday, August 24, with three remaining crews, including the Redmond and Prineville Hotshots and one Sisters "contact crew."

Johannsen reported 35 lightning fire starts Wednesday and Thursday, mostly on the Ochoco National Forest, including fires of less than one acre in the Mill Creek and Black Canyon Wilderness Areas. A larger range fire burned 250 acres north and east of Madras.

Central Oregon Dispatch also reported lightning-sparked spot fires Saturday night, all of less than one-tenth of an acre and concentrated southwest of Sunriver and Crane Prairie Reservoir.