Black Butte Ranch residents ready to act

Fred Gerke and Michelle Barber with the volunteer County Search and Rescue team standby at Fiddleneck Gate, Black Butte Ranch, to help with fire evacuation if necessary. Photo by Tom Chace

Black Butte Ranch residents are ready for something they hope they won't have to do: evacuate for the second time in as many years (see related story).

"Last year they got the cows and horses out first," said Ruth Peterson a resident of Black Butte Ranch. "This year only the horses went. Maybe we’re learning something."

The evacuation plan for Black Butte Ranch entailed much more than moving the livestock from the big meadow near the entrance and along Hawksbeard. It involved hundreds of volunteers, a continuous update on a closed circuit TV channel and dozens of pieces of equipment all in a standby mode, "just in case."

At the back gate to the Ranch off McAllister Road at Fiddleneck, where the fire jumped into the Ranch last year and took out two private homes, half a dozen fire fighting rigs were standing at the ready.

McAllister Road, from that gate to and from Highway 20, was closed to local traffic.

Fred Gerke and Michelle Barber, two volunteer members of the Deschutes County Search and Rescue team, were stationed the Fiddleneck Gate in case they were needed to help evacuate home owners.

"We're here from Bend," Gerke said, "just in case we're needed."

There are Search and Rescue volunteer teams on hand from all over the county.

His partner, Michelle Barber, was called away from her home and three children.

"This is what we do," she said. "My husband, Wes, is here some other place on the Ranch preparing another area for evacuation if we come to that."

At this particular location, in addition to the Search and Rescue vehicle from the Sheriff's Office, there was a tanker from Crooked River Ranch, a pumper truck from Redmond, the Black Butte Ranch paramedic van and a "brush rig" also from Redmond. All just waiting.

Throughout the Ranch on Thursday afternoon, July 10, there were small, golf-cart type vehicles darting into each cul-de-sac and turnaround area checking each and every fire-hydrant to be sure all were working.

Other Search and Rescue personnel were familiarizing themselves with the Ranch layout in case they were needed to go door-to-door advising of an evacuation and becoming ready to assist those needing help.

TV Channel 3, a closed circuit television picture to BBR residents only, kept up a steady rolling series of slides giving the latest information about the fire’s progress and potential evacuation plans.

One slide said, "As a precautionary measure, Search and Rescue (personnel are) currently scanning the Ranch to become familiar (with it)." Another said, "S&R will go door-to-door,"(when necessary).

After last year's fire evacuation, the Ranch previously established the three stages of care according to the TV screen. Stage 1) "Fire is in the area but not threatening. Stage 2) Fire is threatening but not imminent. And, Stage 3) Fire is imminent. Mobilization and Evacuation."

They set parameters for stage three when the fire was, "two miles from the Ranch." Several slides also read, "High-low, means time to go." That referred to an evacuation siren blasting to warn resident to get out.

Other preparatory instructions were given which are good lessons for all who live in potential fire disaster areas.

"Keep in touch with families. Have a place to go. Pack an overnight bag in preparation. Lock your house. Hang a white towel on front door to show you've evacuated. Pack prescription drugs. Drive east toward Sisters and Bend."