Paulina Lake Fire reaches 30% containment

Paulina Lake Fire tackled on the ground, from the air

(Update: Containment estimate)

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Fire managers said the nearly 50-acre wildfire that broke out Sunday afternoon near Paulina Lake Road was 30% contained by Monday evening after the crews spent the day strengthening lines and doing mop-up.

Lines on the Paulina Lake Fire north of La Pine held overnight, officials said Monday morning.

"Firefighters worked well into the night cooling hot spots on the perimeter," the update said. "That work will continue today as firefighters mop-up hot spots within a few hundred feet of the fire perimeter."

The fire was reported just after 1 p.m., burning on Bureau of Land Management land east of U.S. Highway 97 and north of Paulina Lake Road (Forest Road 21).

The fast-moving fire burned in timber and brush 1-2 miles northwest of Ogden Group Camp, off Forest Road 9735, and was estimated at 15-20 acres around 3:30 p.m. in tweets from Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch.

Six engines, a bulldozer and a water tender were among initial resources called in to attack the fire, which burned near the Deschutes National Forest boundary, Forest Service spokeswoman Kassidy Kern said.

One heavy air tanker, a Type 2 tanker and a single-engine air tanker were called in to support firefighters on the ground.

Heavy air tankers are currently supporting firefighters on the Paulina Lake Fire. Dropping retardant will help slow the spread, giving firefighters on the ground an advantage in constructing fire line. pic.twitter.com/k6SnL34BS2

— Central OR Fire Info (@CentralORFire) July 5, 2020

Firefighters stopped forward progress of the blaze before 6:30 p.m. and had containment lines around its perimeter, officials said. The fire was estimated at 48.5 acres. Crews will work through the night to secure the perimeter and patrol for spot fires, Kern said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office said there had been no evacuations.

Several other brush fires were tackled around the region on Sunday, including a small brushfire off Southwest Brookswood Boulevard in Bend that residents went after with extinguishers and rakes, and one off Ten Bar Ranch Road and Highway 20 east of Bend that burned about two acres late Sunday afternoon and was blamed on improper disposal of cigarette butts.

"Central Oregon is currently in high fire danger, meaning fuels are very receptive to ignitions," Kern said in a news release. "If you are recreating on public lands, remember to remain diligent about ensuring all campfires are ‘dead out’ and cold to the touch when you leave them, all spark arrestors are properly installed, and trailer chains are secured."