Black Butte Ranch readies for Link Fire

July 11, 10:30 a.m.

Larry Aragon, USFS, describes Link Fire behavior to a large crowd of Black Butte Ranch residents and guests. photo by Jim Cornelius

Now it all depends on the weather and the wind.

The Link Fire doubled in size to 2,100 acres yesterday, climbing Little Cache Mountain and a nearby cinder cone and throwing spot fires as far as 8/10ths of a mile from the main fire. Today's weather promises to be hot, dry and may be windy in the afternoon.

That has Black Butte Ranch officials concerned. At a 9 a.m. public meeting at the Ranch, BBR officials described a "line in the sand" two miles west of the Ranch.

"Any fire past the two-mile line, whether it's a spot or the actual fire, we're going to evacuate the Ranch," said BBR Police Chief Gil Zaccaro.

Law enforcement personnel and Ranch management want to avoid a repeat of last year's evacuation during the Cache Mountain Fire, when a sudden run pushed the fire onto the Ranch and some 4,000 residents and guests were forced to evacuate in a space of about 20 minutes.

According to Zaccaro, the two mile deadline will give his department and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office time to conduct an orderly, calm evacuation.

Firefighters hope evacuation won't be necessary. They hope to hold the fire's southward progress and prevent it from moving east toward the Ranch.

But that depends on the direction and force of the wind. Wind is expected this afternoon. If it blows from the southwest, it would push any spot fires toward areas already burned over in the Cache Mountain Fire, where the spread would be very slow.

If the wind blows directly west-to-east, it could start fires near the heavily timbered Cache Creek Toll Station.

"I have concerns about it spotting into that heavy timber," said U.S. Forest Service fire behavior specialist Larry Aragon.

If fire gets into that timber, Aragon said, it could spread at a rate of one to 1-1/2 miles per hour, putting Black Butte Ranch in greater danger.

Sisters district Ranger Bill Anthony said that firefighters are also concerned about the fire moving further south into the Three Sisters Wilderness, where there is a great deal of fuel to feed the blaze.

There are currently 800 people working on the fire, with numerous engines and bulldozers and helicopters and tankers to attack the fire from the air.

"So far this team is getting the resources they're requesting, which is good," Anthony said.

Black Butte Ranch evacuation plans:

Ranch residents can keep updated by calling information lines at 595-1502 or 595-1504.

If evacuation is necessary, the county will activate the emergency notification telephone call-up system and the Ranch will sound a piercing hi-lo siren.

"If you hear that siren, it's time to go," Chief Zaccaro said.

Drivers may exit the ranch only at the main gate and may only turn right to head into Sisters, Zaccaro said.

BBR Fire Chief Ed Sherrell has called up task forces from all around Central Oregon to help provide structure protection on the Ranch. He said there are currently a dozen engines of various type on the ranch in addition to the five run by the BBR fire department.

He said it was important to call up additional resources early.

"We wanted them to get here and get familiar with Black Butte Ranch," he said.