Winds push Cache Mountain fire

Stiffening winds with gusts up to 15 to 20 miles per hour pushed the Cache Mountain fire to the northeast on Friday afternoon, July 26.

Cache Mountain lies 2.5 miles southwest of Suttle Lake, about 17 miles west of Sisters.

The fire's spread was gradual and, according to fire information officers stationed at Sisters High School, there has not been a serious blow-up.

"The fire has spread to the northeast, but nothing out of the ordinary for the conditions out there," said one information officer.

There are six bulldozers working to cut containment lines around the fire and six helicopters are making water drops to assist ground crews in battling the flames.

Three air tankers are rotating on the fire, making drops of retardent. According to fire officials, crews are setting up a tank near the fire to allow helicopters to dip out retardent slurry to drop on the blaze.

Around 100 firefighters are staging at an encampment at Sisters High School, where the Cache Mountain fire command post has been established.

Camp Tamarack was evacuated on Thursday afternoon, July 25, as the fire approached within a mile to a mile-and-a-half of the recreational facility.

The evacuation was a precautionary measure, since the camp houses animals, including horses, that should be moved out of a fire area in as calm and deliberate a manner as possible.

There were no children at the camp; evacuees were staff members. The recreational facility is not imminently threatened, according to dispatchers.

Lightning strikes late Tuesday afternoon, July 23, touched off the blaze.

Fire conditions are extreme in Central Oregon and public restrictions are in place. Campfires, cooking and warming fires are restricted to campfire rings at designated Forest Service campgrounds.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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