Firefighters Work to Contain Cougar Butte Wildfire

Fire estimated at 140 acres; Tumalo Falls Day Use remains closed for public and firefighter safety

 BEND – At approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 26, firefighters responded to a fire approximately 11 miles west of Bend and north of Skyliners Road. The Cougar Butte Fire, formerly Incident #215, has been estimated at approximately 140 acres as of this morning, and remains at 10% containment. Fire crews continue to construct hand line along the eastern border of the fire, while holding the north and south portions of the fire with roads.

Several engines, crews and one helicopter responded to the fire yesterday. Resources assigned to the fire at the beginning of shift this morning included 3 wildland fire engines, 1 dozer, 1 Interagency Hotshot Crew, 4 hand crews, 1 Type 2 helicopter and several overhead positions. Additional ground and air resources have been ordered and have started to arrive on scene.

The closure of Forest Road 4601 at the gate to Tumalo Falls remains in effect. Tumalo Falls will be closed to the public for the duration of the incident. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office continues to institute a Level 1 evacuation notice for the Skyliners subdivision. 

At 7:00 a.m. a Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Travis Moyer and Incident Commander Trainee, Mike Aizpitarte, assumed command of the incident.

For up-to-the-minute wildfire information, follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire or follow our blog http://centralorfireinfo.blogspot.com.   

-End-

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2015, the BLM generated $4.1 billion in receipts from activities occurring on public lands.