'Flaming bird' sparks brush fire

A quick and massive response from local firefighters kept a brush fire on Perit Huntington Road at the east end of Sisters from getting out of hand on Thursday.

The fire broke out in the 95-degree heat of the mid-afternoon in the vicinity of Cross Creek Stables.

According to Sisters Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Ast, the fire can be traced to a nasty interaction between wildlife and electricity.

"Our determination was that it was caused by a flaming bird," Ast told The Nugget.

According to Ast, fire investigators and Central Electric Cooperative personnel found that a bird sitting on a power pole had touched power lines, was electrocuted and fell to the ground on fire, igniting brush.

"There was an electrical problem that happened a couple of minutes before the fire was reported," Ast noted.

A neighbor heard a loud pop or bang, signifying an electrical disruption.

Firefighters from Sisters, Black Butte Ranch, Cloverdale, Oregon Department of Forestry and the Forest Service all converged rapidly on the blaze, keeping it confined to approximately half-an-acre.

The proximity of the stables was a concern, but Ast noted that "on the stable side it kinda ran out of fuel quickly."

That serves as a reminder that creating defensible space is vital to protecting buildings from the impingement of wildfire.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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