Highway 197 closed near 10,000-acre Boxcar Fire

(Update: Fire at 10,000 acres, again closes Highway 197; part of Maupin on pre-evacuation alert)

The largest of numerous fires sparked by lightning from Wednesday’s thunderstorms has burned about 10,000 acres about three miles south of Maupin, part of which is now under a Level 1 pre-evacuation notice, and prompted another closure Friday of U.S. Highway 197 in the area, officials said.

The Boxcar fire was burning in grass and brush on Bureau of Land Management and private unprotected lands both east and west of U.S. Highway 197, Forest Service Public Affairs Officer Jean Nelson-Dean said.

Officials said Friday the fire, now estimated at 10,000 acres, was stopped at Highway 198 above East Maupin Thursday night.

“Most activity now seems to be Bakeoven Canyon and related side canyons south and east of Maupin, with some activity at the western edge upriver from Maupin,” Central Oregon fire dispatchers said on their Twitter feed.

“Winds are still moving it multiple directions,” Forest Service spokeswoman Jean Nelson-Dean said Thursday evening. “Maupin isn’t in trouble now — but it is also not out of trouble.”

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that the city of Maupin south of the Deschutes River is at Level 1 evacuation notice, meaning to get ready in case the fire moves closer.

ODOT advised late Friday morning that the highway south of Maupin was closed due to wildfire activity over a 16-mile stretch, from milepost 46 to 62, and that “motorists should use other routes.” Check KTVZ.COM’s TripCheck page for the latest information.

A Type 3 Team was managing the fire, with a Type 2 team to take over management of the fire Friday.

“The fire is expected to continue to grow due to winds and the light brushy fuels in the area,” the Thursday night update said.

The fight Thursday involved numerous engines, one heavy air tanker, a 20-person crew, three water-dropping helicopters and four Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) to battle the blaze.

While Maupin, a popular spot for Deschutes River floaters, was not immediately threatened, Nelson-Dean said firefighters believe it could be, though no evacuations have been ordered.

Highway 197 was closed to traffic shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday due to low-flying aircraft working on the fire but reopened by 2:30, ODOT spokesman Peter Murphy said. However, ODOT advised travelers that flames and firefighting activities were active in the area and to be vigilant while driving through.

More than 600 lightning strikes were recorded in the region Wednesday and more than a dozen fires, mostly limited to single trees amid heavy rainfall in places.

Firefighters managed many additional small lightning–caused fires throughout the day Thursday.

Another visible fire of three to five acres was burning in brush and grass in a lava field near Lava Butte, south of Bend, Nelson-Dean said.

Firefighters are on scene, but the fire is not expected to grow significantly because it is surrounded by lava rock, Nelson-Dean said.

Another small fire was burning in the Badlands Wilderness, on BLM lands east of Bend. That blaze may be visible to hikers in the area and it is being monitored, Nelson-Dean said, asking that people not call in the smaller fires unless there is significant change.