230-acre fire near Warm Springs 80 pct. contained
(Update: Rainbow Fire at 230 acres, 80 pct. containment)
Crews reached 80 percent containment Saturday of a 230-acre wildfire, apparently sparked by a campfire, that raced up a hill Friday afternoon east of the Deschutes River and Warm Springs, prompting a brief closure of Highway 26, call-out of two regional task forces and evacuation of a campground.
Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Lisa Clark said crews would spend Saturday working to hold and improve the lines and conducting mop-up operations on the blaze, named the Rainbow Fire.
Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Adkins said the fire began shortly before 3 p.m. Friday near a former Shell gas station next to the Rainbow Market on the east side of the river, about 16 miles northwest of Madras.
A man who may have passed out at his campfire was pulled to safety by a friend and later taken to St Charles Madras for burn-related injuries, Adkins said. Investigators are looking into whether that campfire sparked the wildfire, he said, adding that alcohol is suspected to have played a part.
Jefferson County Rural Fire District No. 1 and the BLM were jointly managing the fire that began behind the abandoned gas station beside the Rainbow Market. It started in light, grassy fuels as winds pushed it south, parallel to Highway 26 and east toward the top of the river canyon in a mix of tribal, private and BLM lands.
As of 6 p.m., the fire was estimated at 230 acres, with no containment estimate. Mecca Flats Campground was under a precautionary evacuation, with six vehicles moved out of the area, according to the Central Oregon Fire Information blog.
Two task forces with several engine crews from Jefferson and Deschutes county fire departments were called in to help fight the blaze and protect any structures. But Adkins said most deputies had cleared the area, as there was no immediate threat to homes or other structures.
William Wilson, assistant fire management officer with Warm Springs Fire Management, said the tribes provided assistance with a hotshot team and five engines. Two helicopters from Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center were called in to support, as well as BLM Fire & Safety, he said.
Jefferson County Undersheriff Marc Heckathorn said Highway 26 was closed for a short time near milepost 106 but had reopened by late afternoon “and we do not anticipate any further highway closures.”
“The fire is being held at the top of the rim by fire personnel who are still actively fighting the fire and mutual aid units are still arriving,” the undersheriff said.
Heckathorn said no evacuation notices are anticipated, except for the Mecca Flats Campground, which has been closed by the BLM.
“Residents near the fire have been notified,” he said, adding, “Things are looking good at the moment.”
As of 2:49 p.m., ODOT TripCheck was reporting no to minimum delays on Highway 26 in the area – and that advisory was gone by late afternoon.
Mutual-aid assistance was called in from Jefferson and Deschutes County fire agencies, both to help battle the brushfire and for structural protection if needed. A call-up of two task forces came around 3:30 p.m. for help on the fire as well.
