Officials: Tossed cigarette sparked 1,500-acre Mile Post 6 Fire

(Update: Fire investigator explains how cause determined)

An official investigation of the 1,500-acre Milepost 6 Fire that broke out a week ago has determined the fire was ignited by a carelessly thrown cigarette along U.S. Highway 26, six miles south of Madras, officials said Friday.

The human-started fire was in addition to more than 50 other fires reported in Central Oregon after a thunderstorm on the previous evening (Thursday, Aug. 16).

The Mile Post 6 Fire closed an eight-mile stretch of Highway 26 south of Madras for a time the day it broke out. The fire was 80 percent contained by Thursday, with an expected full containment by Saturday.

Asked how they determined a cigarette was the fire’s cause, Central Oregon Fire Management Service public information officer and wildland fire investigator Stacy Lacey shared this information with NewsChannel 21:

“The science that goes into a wildland fire investigation is an intriguing process, the same process is done for every fire. To put it simply, the investigator walks the fire back from the head, farthest out from origin area, toward where the fire started.

“The way trees, brush, grass, garbage, etc. burns leave visual/physical indicators showing the direction and intensity of the fire. For the most part, especially in a wind-driven fire, when you find the general area the fire started in, say a 20-foot by 20-foot area, the fire burns with less intensity.

“So as in the case of the Mile Post 6 Fire, the cigarette was tossed roadside right at the edge of short cheatgrass, which are quick-burning, fine fuels. So in this case, with the wind quickly pushing the fire away from the ignition source and there being very sparse fuels around the cigarette, the cigarette only burned the bottom side that had direct contact with the small fuels around it.

“So in short, it just depends on the fuel bed and wind in the fire origin area wether the cigarette burns up or not. Many cases where the fuels are heavy and/or the wind is light so it burns hot in the original ignition area, the cigarette will also burn up,” Lacey said.

Friday’s COFMS announcement of the fire cause stated: “We need all of our resources to respond to the fires we can’t prevent – and everyone to help prevent the ones we can.”

The agency “asks our communities and all visitors to our area: please be fire cautious. Smoke only inside a vehicle or insure there is no flammable vegetation close to where you are smoking — and never throw cigarettes out of a car window.”

“At all times, extinguish cigarettes and dispose of them in appropriate ashtrays or receptacles. Enjoy campfires only in designated campgrounds, check your trailer chains to make sure they are not dragging, if you are target shooting or hunting ensure you have an adequate backstop void of vegetation and please do not park your vehicle on dry grass!”

“While we may never know who littered this cigarette to hold them accountable for this fire, we know that we can prevent wildfires by being cautious and diligent about extinguishing our ignitions during fire season. Remember, as Smokey says: ONLY YOU can prevent wildfires,” the news release stated.

For current wildfire information, follow us on Twitter @CentralORFire or check the Central Oregon Fire Information website: http://www.centraloregonfire.org/