Sisters forest camper reports nearby campsite fire, slows spread with 2 fire district-provided extinguishers

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A small brush fire was reported late Tuesday night at a dispersed campsite on the Deschutes National Forest in Sisters by a neighboring camper who used two extinguishers provided by the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District to slow its spread before fire crews arrived.

The fire was reported around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday on the forest about a half-mile north of the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge, fire district Public Information Officer Julie Spor said.

After reporting the fire, she said the neighbor tried to put out the blaze, using two small extinguishers provided earlier by the fire district under a dispersed camping fire prevention effort.

Fire district crews arrived about 15 minutes later to find an area of the forest about 50 feet in diameter on fire, including a campsite, then extinguished the blaze, containing it at that size, Spor said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the U.S. Forest Service.

Sisters Camp-Sherman Fire Chief Tony Prior said the use of the fire extinguishers did help, as it “probably kept it from spreading much farther than it did."

Prior said it's a good example of how the program to provide extinguishers and smoke detectors can provide benefits.

Other agencies that responded to the fire included the Black Butte Ranch Police Department and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Forest Service.

Spor added, “The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District encourages all residents and visitors in Sisters Country to have working fire extinguishers in their homes, autos and recreational vehicles.”