Sharing for Deschutes National Forest
BEND-Three fires started in areas around Newberry National Volcanic Monument at approximately 1 p.m. this afternoon.
One fire (#1036) is 2 acres and fully lined at this time with crews working to contain the fire.
A second fire (#1035) is burning 2 miles SE of Lava Butte on the east side of Hwy 97. It also is lined and crews are working on containing the fire. The fire did get two spot fires that threatened Lava River Cave and prompted Forest Service Law Enforcement officials to evacuate Lava River Cave and Lava Lands Visitor Center. Those two sites will remain closed for today.
A third fire (#1035) located 1 mile north of Ogden Group Camp within Newberry National Volcanic Monument is creating the greatest threat. The fire is currently 30 acres and extremely active.
Handcrews, bulldozers, engines, helicopters and tankers are all responding to these fires this afternoon.
As more information is available, updates will be provided.
-USFS-
This blog is cooperatively maintained and posted by those Central Oregon Agencies involved in emergency response, to serve the communities information needs.
The 2 Lava Butte fires looks suspicious. No lightning in the area, no campgrounds, no embers in the air. The video I saw showed one of those huge piles of forest cleanup debris fully ablaze. God forbid we have an arsonist on the loose. How can I find out the cause of these 2 fires? Same question on the fire burning near the Ogden Group Campground. Anyone know the cause?
ReplyDeleteAll of these fires are under investigation.
DeleteHas anyone else noticed those gigantic piles of cleanup debris visible along the east side of Hwy 97 outside Sunriver? I'd like to know why they've not been cleared.
ReplyDeleteThese are piles leftover from mechanical thinning in the area. They will dry/cure out and be burned by fuels specialists in the winter when it is safe to do so.
DeleteThanks for the info. Do you know if either of the Lava Lands fires started in one of those debris piles? I saw a vid showing one of them full engulfed.
DeleteCan we please have an update on the McKay Fire on this page?
ReplyDeleteDonald, I hope you have seen the updates we posted earlier this morning on the McKay Fire. It is currently estimated at 1219 acres. Crews are mopping up, improving line, and patrolling for spotfires.
DeleteJust saw this...posted at 11:40 AM. 1,219 acres. http://centralorfireinfo.blogspot.com/2017/08/update-on-mckay-fire-1140-on-august-30.html
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in knowing the McKay fire source. Started around the same time as those 2 fires at Lava Lands. We live in OWW2 and were hit with dense, heavy smoke from the 2 Butte fires yesterday...frightening.
ReplyDeleteThose 3 fires were reported close to the same time yesterday afternoon, between 1:00 and 2:00 PM. All fires are under investigation, the cause is unknown at this time.
DeleteHighly suspicious
ReplyDeleteA Sunriver employee told me a short while ago that a suspected arsonist had been arrested for starting a string of fires along Hwy 97 from Gilchrist to Lava Butte. Can anyone confirm if this is true?
ReplyDeleteI have not heard that.
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