Klamath County wildfire grows to 800 acres

The Bryant Fire reported Thursday afternoon burning 20 miles east of Klamath Falls on the northeast side of Bryant Mountain has grown to 800 acres, officials said Friday.

The fire is burning in an active logging operation in felled and bucked timber on steep, rugged terrain. The fire is spotting in all directions, they said.

Gusty winds were predicted for Friday afternoon and evening, which could challenge firefighters and was expected to keep the fire growing.

The Oregon Department of Forestry is leading the firefighting effort on the Bryant Fire.

Resources involved in initial attack on the fire Thursday included: two heavy air tankers, two single-engine air tankers, one helicopter and hand crews, fire engines, bulldozers and fire management (overhead) personnel. Many resources were working the fire Friday .

The cause of the fire, 10 miles southeast of Bonanza, was under investigation.

The fire, located on JWTR (Jeld-Wen Timber and Ranches)-owned land, was reported around 2 p.m. Thursday, with no structures are threatened at the time, officials said Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, authorities are seeking information to solve four human-caused fires that broke out last weekend on the Fremont-Winema National Forest near Burnt Creek, 14 miles east of Lakeview.

Officials said the fires required suppression efforts by several aircraft and dozens of firefighters and burned together to form one 28-acre fire called the Burnt Fire. Investigators located the origin of the fires and have determined them to be human-caused.

A joint investigation team from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement is interested in any information members of the public can provide.

The investigation team is interested in any activity, individuals or vehicles seen within the Big Valley or Burnt Creek area on Saturday, June 14 th , or in the days leading up to the fire.

Wildfires cost taxpayers millions of dollars each year in the U.S. Anyone with information that could help identify the suspects is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 541-947-2222, who is working in conjunction with US Forest Service Law Enforcement.