‘Scary’ brushfire burns near homes S. of Sunriver

Another sign that wildfire season is closing in on Central Oregon came Tuesday afternoon, as crews were called out to encircle and douse a brushfire that burned about an acre near homes south of Sunriver.

Neighbors on rural Savage Drive used shovels and hoses to attack the flames before fire crews arrives.

“It was scary,” said neighbor Lynne Levario. “The wind was blowing so fast. And it was just a small (fire), but it whipped up so fast and it was climbing up all the trees and all the brush and everything.”

Shortly before 3 p.m., crews with the Oregon Department of Forestry, La Pine Fire District, the U.S. Forest Service and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies responded to the fire, said Nathan Garibay, the county’s emergency services manager.

Forest Service law enforcement and Sunriver police also were called out to the fire, which burned about an acre of grass, brush, lodgepole and Ponderosa pine trees at the north end of Savage Drive, near Upland Road, he said.

Arriving crews found a fire about a half-acre in size, moving slowly in brush and light fuels, he said.

The fire did burn within 30 feet of one home, but no structures were damaged. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

As the weather gets warmer and drier, the sheriff’s office and other emergency response organizations want to remind people that we live in wildfire country, Garibay said in a news release.

“We encourage our citizens and visitors to be cautious with fire,” he wrote. “Additionally we encourage you to take steps to improve your property’s resilience to wildfire, by doing the following:

Create defensible space around your home
Clean up pine needles and other combustibles from around your home and roof: Are your gutters and roof valleys free from debris like pine needles and leaves? Clean them out. Despite a metal or asphalt shingle roof, the buildup of gutter debris provides necessary fuel for the glowing embers to ignite adjacent fascia boards or siding – most often made of wood.
Do your shrubs and weeds provide a path of fuel for fire to reach your trees or home? Reduce shrubs and other “ladder fuels” around your home to reduce the threat of ground fires igniting nearby trees, or your home.
What can catch fire on your deck or patio or near your fence? Remove weeds, shrubs or any combustible materials from around, under or on top of your deck, patio or wood fence. This includes toys, planters, construction materials, patio furniture and cushions along with even small piles of pine needles or leaves.
Is your woodpile near your home or other combustible vegetation? Move woodpiles at least 20 feet away from your home or other combustibles.
Clear yard debris from your property, which can be disposed of at upcoming FireFree Events: Friday, May 1 through May 9 at Knott Landfill in Bend (closed Sunday).
Fridays & Saturdays, May 1 & 2 and May 8 & 9 at the Westside Collection Site in Bend.
Friday & Saturday, May 15 & 16 at Deschutes County Transfer Sites: Negus Transfer Station in Redmond
Northwest Transfer Station in Cloverdale (Sisters)
Southwest Transfer Station in La Pine
Friday & Saturday May 8 & 9 at the Sunriver Compost Site in Sunriver.

“We further encourage you and your family to have a plan, get a kit, and stay informed regarding known or potential hazards in your area<" Garibay wrote.

Residents should also be aware that outdoor burning is closed as of Friday. Prior to that time, burning may be closed due to weather conditions.