Rooster Rock fire estimated at 1,850 acres - Tuesday, August 3, 10 a.m.

Rooster Rock fire estimated at 1,850 acres

Infrared mapping of the Rooster Rock fire last night gave fire officials an estimate of 1,850 acres on the blaze, which blew up yesterday and roared through ponderosa pine and sage, threatening scattered homes and launching a precautionary evacuation in the Plainview area late yesterday afternoon.

Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch reports that firefighters working with several dozers made good progress putting in a containment line on the Rooster Rock Fire last night.

With temperatures expected in the low 90s and the potential for afternoon wind, the challenge will be holding this perimeter line through the heat of the day.

"It ran about seven miles yesterday," Dave Vitelle of Bear Mountain Fire told The Nugget on Tuesday morning.

Vitelle said the fire is skirting south of the Delicious burn, which dates back to the mid-1990s.

Private properties that had extensive fuels treatment weathered the storm pretty well, Vitelle reported. He said that one property that had not had any fuel reduction was hit hard.

"It nuked it," he said. "It's moonscaped."

Vitelle said the fire moved perhaps a mile overnight.

"It actually stayed pretty active all night, which is unusual for this area," he said.

The fire is approximately 1,850 acres this morning and there is no estimate of containment. A Type II Incident Management Team led by Mark Rapp of Sisters is taking command of the firefighting effort, based at Sisters Middle School.

Holm Neumann lives along Delicious Ln., directly in the path of the fire. A pioneer in the sport of mounted archery in the United States, Neumann has about 25 horses on the property.

"We're sort of on standby," Neumann said. "They haven't asked us to evacuate. I've called a whole bunch of friends and if we need to, they'll come in and (the horses) will be dispersed."

Neumann's ranch was used as a fire base during the Delicious fire and the property is in the open and protected by a fire break, so Neumann isn't too concerned.

"The main thing is, if the power lines go, the water goes," he said.

Yesterday, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff's Office Search and Research volunteers implemented a precautionary evacuation for homes approximately two miles south and two miles west of Plainview. A Red Cross shelter has been set up at the Sisters Elementary School, 611 E Cascade Street in Sisters. At this time the precautionary evacuation order remains in effect.

Red Cross also works cooperatively with the local pet evacuation team to help evacuees with the care of small and large animals. For additional information and assistance associated with pet rescue, contact Jaime Kanski at 541-610-6628

The fire will be staffed today with the following air resources: two Type I helicopters, one Type III helicopter, and two additional helicopters have been ordered. A temporary flight restriction is in place for five miles around the fire to 8,000 feet.

Ground forces include: one hotshot crew, two 10-person Department of Corrections handcrews from the Deer Ridge Correctional Facility in Madras, four 5-person handcrews, and three 20-person handcrews; 15 water tenders, six saw teams, eight engines, and several dozers

Air resources currently assigned to the fire include three air tankers, two heavy helicopters and one light helicopter. Ground resources assigned include the Redmond Hotshots, two ten-person Department of Correction crews from the Deer Ridge Correctional Facility in Madras, several five-person hand crews, eight engines, one water tender and two dozers. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department is providing structure protection.

The Rooster Rock Fire was reported yesterday at 11:44 a.m. near Forest Road 16 and Whychus Creek on the Sisters Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest. The fire grew quickly in size due to 8-12 mph winds pushing it through a mix of sagebrush and ponderosa pine.

Forest Road 16 (Three Creeks Road) is closed.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Fire officials are asking the public to stay clear of the area to allow access for firefighting equipment and personnel.