The Juniper Creek Fire ignited on Sunday about 16 miles northeast of Sisters and quickly grew to over 100 acres. On Monday evening, the Oregon Department of Forestry said the fire was 75% contained and that firefighters are doing mop-up operations — which consist of cooling the fire’s perimeter by extinguishing hotspots and removing unburnt material. Over 100 personnel are attending to the fire, including one helicopter, five dozers and 10 fire engines.
“Our firefighters did an outstanding job placing dozer line around the fire last night, and we’re building off that progress to establish containment so we can get back to readiness,” said ODF administrator Chase Duncan in a press release. “We had a lot of partners provide initial attack and support, from our federal partners at the Forest Service and [the Bureau of Land Management], to Lake Chinook RFD, Jefferson County Sheriff’s, and private contractors. This has been an incredible team effort on behalf of the public.”
The fire led to a Level 3 (go now) evacuation notice for the Three Rivers Subdivision and the area west of 590 A road, but it was reduced to a level 2 (be set) notice on Monday at 1 pm. Central Oregon’s smoke is mostly coming from two different fires to the west. The Lookout Fire in the Willamette National Forest is over 12,000 acres and is 5% contained. Southwest of that, the Bedrock Fire grew to over 30,000 acres and is 35% contained. Both fires have contributed to Central Oregon’s poor air quality when the winds blow east.
The Juniper Creek Fire near Sisters quickly burned southeast before becoming active on all sides due to heavy winds. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Fire officials ask that the public avoid traveling in the area to allow responders and equipment easier access.
This article appears in Source Weekly August 24, 2023.
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