Firefighters corral fire south of Sisters

Firefighters quickly got a handle on a new fire that started approximately one mile west of the point of origin for the Rooster Rock Fire that recently burned approximately 6,000 acres south of Sisters.

Unlike the Rooster Rock Fire, this 1/2-acre fire was not wind driven and firefighters, with the assistance of an air tanker and two helicopters, were able to quickly contain it. The fire was declared contained at 6:30 p.m. Monday night.

The cause of the blaze was an abandoned campfire that flared up and moved outside the campfire ring around noon Monday.

According to Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch, since July 31, firefighters have responded to approximately 20 abandoned campfires, primarily on the Deschutes National Forest. With high temperatures and low relative humidities in Central Oregon, each of these has the potential to become a wildfire like the Rooster Rock.

Campers are legally responsible for putting out their campfires - even if they only plan to be gone for five minutes. At the least, a camper can receive a fine that ranges from $125 to $500 for abandoning a campfire. Should that campfire grow beyond the ring, adults are legally responsible for all suppression costs of their fires and the fires of their minor children, plus any damages incurred.

According to firefighting officials, the best method to put out a campfire is to pour water over it and mix the embers with a shovel, essentially making a campfire "soup." Once the campfire is cooled, feel over the area with the back of your hand. If a fire is too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave. Burying a fire is not a good method, as the fire can smolder and eventually rekindle, or burn out through a root system or a break in the fire ring.

"Dead out" is cold to the touch.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning through Wednesday evening for abundant lightning in conjunction with dry fuels. Firefighters will be positioned around Central Oregon Wednesday in preparation for another lightning storm, and additional crews and engines are being brought in and will remain on standby to help respond to any new starts.