Containment grows on Pole Creek Fire

While the Pole Creek Fire has been severely disruptive in the Sisters Country, it has not devastated the forest. While areas of dead timber burned intensely, much of the forest experienced an "underburn" that was much less destructive.

Pole Creek Fire officials met with well over a hundred Sisters area residents on Sunday to provide an update on the status of the fire.

Incident Commander, Brian Watts, provided some specific information on the fire's behavior and its impact on certain landmarks in the area. As of Sunday, he considered that the fire was 65 percent contained.

Watts indicated that, although the fire boundary reaches as far south as the northern shore of Little Three Creek Lake, the margin along the lake was only lightly burned as part of a "burnout" operation. Similarly, Road 16 leading to the lakes was treated with back burning, so the fire along that route was not as intense as it otherwise might have been.

Watts also stated that the northeastern part of the fire, that portion nearest Sisters, was more easily controlled because of forest thinning and fire treatment projects that had already been completed in recent years. As a result, he said that the fire's impact in that region was greatly mitigated.

He indicated that areas of dense bug-killed trees had suffered the hottest and most intense burning, but his observation was that perhaps as much as 65 percent of the burned-over area had experienced fire resulting in what might be described as an "under burn" that did not completely destroy the forest.

Fire officials believe that the southwest margins of the fire are stable; and they do not expect the fire to expand much farther as it is running out of fuel in that area. Firefighters have been able to work over the edges of the burn, and the fire has burned back upon itself. The fire has burned well south of Soap Creek and the North Fork of Whychus Creek. However, Watts said that he flew over Demaris Lake on Sunday morning, and the area around the lake had not been burned.

At the time of the most recent report, the part of the fire remaining most active was in the northwest quadrant near Trout Creek Butte. Saturday, nine spot fires were discovered on the butte itself; but, by Sunday, all had been extinguished or controlled. Fire crews were expecting that combinations of roads and current dozer lines would successfully limit significant further expansion of the fire boundaries.

Watts reported that a quarter inch of rain fell on the fire Saturday night and Sunday morning, and that had helped slow down the fire and limit its spread. One area that continues to pose additional challenges, however, is the extreme northwest portion, where concerns remain that the fire could continue to expand toward Yapoa Lake, Yapoa Crater, and the Matthieu Lakes. Watts said that firefighting efforts were now being concentrated in that area.

Regarding the new Jack Lake or Canyon Creek Fire that was first reported Saturday night, he said that preliminary firefighting efforts on Saturday had limited the growth of the fire to about 50 acres by Sunday morning and that the fire was still 50 acres as firefighting efforts continued late Sunday afternoon. He reported that 130 firefighters were working that new fire which is about five miles northwest of Camp Sherman.

The exact location is two miles east of Wasco Lake on a steep portion of the Canyon Creek canyon near the end of the 100 road off Road 1235. A fire line has been dozed along the ridge to the north, and the 100 road was holding as the fire line to the south. Hot Shot crews were working both flanks to the east and west of the fire. Watts was optimistic that the fire could be contained within those boundaries.

The Canyon Creek Fire is within the boundaries of the 2003 B & B fire; but, with all the dead tees from that fire and nine years of shrub growth, there is quite a bit of fuel present. The dead snags also pose special hazards for the firefighters.

At present, Road 12 remains open, as well as Road 1210 to Round Lake. Jack Creek Campground, Jack Lake, and Booth Lake areas are closed. Trail closures include the Round Lake Trail, Minto Lake Trail, Summit Trail from Square Lake to Wasco Lake, and the Canyon Creek Trail to Canyon Creek Meadows.

Watts made a special point of thanking the Sisters community for all the support given to the firefighters who are working the blazes in the area.