The Cedar Creek Fire quadrupled in size over the past week, from 18,000 acres on Sept. 6 to over 92,000 acres on Sept. 13. The fire sparked during a lightning storm on Aug. 1 and has proved difficult to contain due to the steep and inaccessible terrain.
On Sept. 9 Gov. Kate Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, allowing the Office of State Fire Marshal to protect lives, homes and infrastructure to Oakridge in Lane County. The fire is currently about 15 miles east of Oakridge, a town of about 3,300 people. The Deschutes National Forest implemented emergency closures for the Bend-Fort Rock and Crescent Ranger districts and temporarily shut down Forest Service roads. Areas where many Central Oregonians go for recreation along the Cascade Lakes Highway are currently closed or in use by fire crews as staging areas, including Sunrise at Mt. Bachelor and the Meissner, Kapka and Edison sno-parks. The highway itself is being used as a fire break to keep the fire from spreading.
“This is a good reminder that conditions can change quickly, and that fire knows no bounds. With forecasted weather conditions this week and numerous fires in the wilderness areas near communities, it is important for all Oregonians to be prepared. Follow all evacuation orders and continue to follow local and statewide fire prevention regulations to keep our communities safe and our natural resources protected.” —Kate Brown
The Lane County Sheriff lowered the evacuation notice for Westfir and Oakridge from Level 3 to Level 2 (be set) on Sept. 11, though portions of northern, eastern and southwest Oakridge remain at Level 3. Recreational areas around the Cedar Creek Fire are currently under a Level 3 (go now) evacuation notice.
“This is a good reminder that conditions can change quickly, and that fire knows no bounds. With forecasted weather conditions this week and numerous fires in the wilderness areas near communities, it is important for all Oregonians to be prepared. Follow all evacuation orders and continue to follow local and statewide fire prevention regulations to keep our communities safe and our natural resources protected,” Brown said in a press release.
The fire jumped over containment lines, and it’s now 0% contained after reaching a high of 12% containment on Sept. 10. Smoke from the fire drifted into Bend and other Central Oregon communities, polluting air to a degree AirNow called “very unhealthy” On Sept. 12. AirNow’s forecast predicts the air quality will improve, but smoke will still be in the area and will be “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
This article appears in Source Weekly September 15, 2022.
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