Firefighters gain 20 percent containment on Milli Fire

Moderate temperatures, higher humidity levels and favorable wind conditions allowed firefighters to gain ground on the 9,331-acre Milli Fire burning west and southwest of Sisters on Sunday.

Conditions are again smoky in Sisters on Monday morning and, like yesterday, smoke should begin to lift in late morning as the sun hits the cool inversion layer. Smoke monitoring information is available at: oregonsmoke.blogspot.com.

Smoky conditions may affect viewing of the solar eclipse, which will have about 30 seconds of totality in Sisters a little before 10:30 a.m. Regardless of smoke filtering the light, viewers of the eclipse must use certified eclipse viewing glasses at all times except for the brief period of totality or risk damage to their eyes.

All evacuation orders remained in place on the Milli Fire overnight. The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reported last night that they plan to meet with partner agencies today, August 21, and will reevaluate the situation.

Deschutes County Emergency Services Manager Sgt. Nathan Garibay of the DSCO Sheriff's Office told The Nugget that the decision to lift an evacuation and allow people to return home is based on a variety of factors with public safety and firefighter safety at the top of the list.

"That's always a tough one," he said. "We're not going to lift evacuations until there's confidence that it's absolutely safe. It changes every day and it's always based on current expected fire behavior."

Weather conditions are expected to be similar to yesterday, which should give firefighters a good opportunity to strengthen and extend containment lines.

Garibay said that "people have been very understanding and we really appreciate the patience and understanding Sisters has shown. It's just another example of what makes Sisters a great community."