C.O. firefighters mop up prescribed burns; others bring new 105-acre blaze near Hole in the Ground to 60% containment

FORT ROCK, Ore. (KTVZ) – While firefighters in Central Oregon mop up from prescribed burns across hundreds of acres this week, others are making good progress on containing a new human-caused fire near Hole in the Ground, about 60 miles southeast of Bend.

Central Oregon Fire Management Service resources responded Friday to the South Pasture Fire, located south of state Highway 31 near Hole in the Ground, a large (about a mile across) volcanic crater in the Fort Rock-Christmas Lake Valley basin of Lake County.

The South Pasture Fire is a human-caused fire, officials said, and the cause is currently under investigation.

Officials said Saturday morning that a control line has been established around the fire, which was 105 acres at last report.

Firefighters on Friday reached 60% containment and camped out near the fire overnight. Crews were continuing mop-up and working to increase containment Saturday.

Friday's report said, "Firefighters are on scene and using existing control features to suppress the fire. This is a full-suppression fire. Firefighters plan to use ignitions as a suppression tactic to remove unburned vegetation between the fire and existing control features. "

They advised that smoke will be visible from Highway 31 and the surrounding area.

"The fire is surrounded on all sides by areas previously treated with fuels reduction work, including thinning and prescribed burning," officials said. "The current moisture levels and projected weather conditions are allowing firefighters to use a suppression strategy that minimizes disturbance to the landscape."

For current wildland fire information, the public can visit centraloregonfire.org or follow fire information on Twitter (X) @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire.

Meanwhile, the Little Yamsay Fire, 15 miles southeast of Chemult near Klamath Marsh, has grown to 3,278 acres and 30% containment since it was sparked by lightning on April 20. That's largely due to firing operations on burns aimed to consume ground and ladder fuels and reintroduce fire to a fire-adapted landscape.