Smoke is expected to create “unhealthy” air quality in Bend by Sept. 7, largely due to the Cedar Creek Fire about 25 miles west of La Pine. Air quality is defined as unhealthy once pollutants are potent enough to impact the health of the general public.
Satellite images of the Cedar Creek Fire show smoke clouding Jefferson, Wasco and other northern counties. Wind patterns are expected to shift some smoke toward Bend on Wednesday, though by Friday air quality is expected to return to “healthy” levels.
The Cedar Creek Fire ignited from a lightning strike on Aug. 1 and has been growing as firefighters scramble to contain it in difficult terrain. The fire is over 18,000 acres as of press time on Tuesday, making it Oregon’s second largest current fire after the Rum Creek Fire in Josephine County, which was nearly 20,000 acres as of press time.
Waldo Lake prevented the fire from moving east, and more than 20 trailheads around the lake are closed. On Sept. 3, the Lane County Sheriff issued a Level 3 (Go) Evacuation Order for the Waldo Lake campgrounds.
With the difficult terrain firefighters have been using indirect firefighting strategies, constructing fire lines away from the active fire where they have a better chance of stopping its spread. Over 800 firefighters are working on the fire, which currently has 12% of its perimeter contained. Eight helicopters have dropped water on the fire, which is characterized as creeping, smoldering and torching single trees as it grows.
Originally officials estimated the fire would be fully contained by Oct. 1, but have since removed an expected containment date.
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This article appears in Sep 7, 2022 – Sep 13, 2023.
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