Lightning sparks several small C.O. fires; one grows to 120 acres near Chiloquin
CHILOQUIN, Ore. (KTVZ) -- While Central Oregon crews tackled several small lightning-sparked fires on Friday, a larger lightning-caused blaze had burned about 120 acres in a marsh northeast of Chiloquin.
The Marsh Fire broke out about 20 miles northeast of Chiloquin,, on the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, according the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership's Facebook page.
The fire was "burning across the top of the water within the marsh, in the tules and cattails," the partnership said.Fire managers ordered a UAS (unmanned aircraft system, or drone) to help monitor and accurately map the fire.
A fire official said they will utilize green meadow grasses east and west of the fire and the Silver Lake Highway to the north as containment lines. He also said Saturday's expected rainfall should help.
In Central Oregon, meanwhile, about 450 lightning strikes hit the area Thursday night and Friday morning. By late morning, crews had responded to a half-dozen new incidents, all under 1/10th of an acre. More stormy weather is expected on Saturday.
