C.O. firefighters tackle dozen-plus new fires after storms rumble through; largest burns 120 acres S. of John Day River
(Update: Initial info on Cherry Creek Fire)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Thunderstorms rumbling across Central Oregon late Sunday afternoon and evening brought some lightning, heavy rain and hail, while sparking over a dozen new fire starts around the region that firefighters were busy responding to Monday amid all the large wildfires already burning across the state.
The largest new blaze in the area so far was named the Cherry Creek Fire, which has burned about 120 acres south of the John Day River and 16 miles northwest of Mitchell. A local range protection association and BLM resources were on the scene Monday morning, along with four single-engine air tankers (SEAT planes).
Most of the other reported incidents are located on the Ochoco National Forest north of Big Summit Prairie, Central Oregon fire officials said. A reconnaissance flight Monday morning will look for additional starts across Central Oregon.
Bend Fire & Rescue responded to three fires in the area from Sunday's storms, the largest that burned about a half-acre off U.S. Highway 97 near 61st Street north of Bend.
Bend Deputy Fire Marshal Cindy Kettering said the fire reported just before 5:30 p.m. south of 61st Street was the largest of three lightning-sparked blazes Bend Fire & Rescue crews responded to Sunday evening. The other two were single-tree fires in rural southeast Bend.
A National Weather Service spotter near Deschutes River Woods reported half-inch hail as the storm moved north toward Redmond.
The NWS warned shortly before 6 p.m. of a strong thunderstorm near Redmond and Terrebonne, moving north at 30 mph, with winds gusting to 40 mph and half-inch hail. They recommended, if outdoors, to consider seeking shelter inside a building.
That's just what happened to thousands of music-lovers attending the closing night of this weekend’s FairWell Festival at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond.
Festival officials announced a weather delay and said on their website, “Due to an approaching storm, performances have been suspended momentarily. We expect this to be a temporary delay. Please head to the First Interstate Bank Center and await further updates.”
Someone told NewsChannel 21 about the event suspension and said, "Hope it passes quick ... hot in here!” And later, festival organizers said the event had resumed.
