Brush fire threatens Bend’s north end, stopped by major air, ground attack: evacuation updates, power partially restored
(Update: Latest info on forward progress stopped, evacuations, power outages)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A fast-moving brush fire broke out Friday afternoon in an area just north of Bend called “Dirt World,” sending up thick, billowing smoke, prompting widespread Level 3 GO NOW evacuations and causing a power outage affecting up to 14,000 customers and major traffic jams in the area.
But before nightfall, a major ground and air battle stopped the blaze before it could reach the mobile home parks and neighborhoods nearby.
The fire, named the Mile Marker 132 Fire, was reported around 2:40 p.m. off Highway 97 near milepost 132 and had burned about 10 acres within an hour and was reported at 20 acres before 5:30 p.m.
“The fire is showing a rapid rate of spread, with spotting ahead,” fire officials said around 4 p.m. “Multiple aircraft have been ordered and air attack is currently on scene.”
Around 8 p.m., Central Oregon fire officials said in an X/Twitter update: "Due to the hard work of all the cooperating agencies' ground & air resources have stopped the forward progression on Mile Marker 132 fire. The 20-acre fire started just East of Hwy 97, north of Cooley Rd & south of Beechcraft Ln. All aircraft released by 7:20 pm & now mopping up."
Friday's fire started not far from where the Juniper Ridge Fire nearly four years ago in mid-August 2020 burned nearly 40 acres. The fire was traced to the hot engine exhaust of a motor home in contact with grass and brush.
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office issued first a Level 1 BE SET around 3:30 p.m., then a Level 3 GO NOW evacuation alert around 4 p.m. for the area east of Highway 97 and north of Cooley Road. Around 4:45 p.m., the alert was dropped to Level 2 BE SET for the area form Cooley Road to Wagontire Way and north of there remained at Level 3.
Here's an update on evacuation zones issued around 8 p.m.
Current evacuation levels are as follows:
Level 3 Go Now: Juniper Ridge area and all residences on the east side of Hwy 97 north of Hilltop trailer park to the COID power generation facility.
Level 2 Be Set: Residential north of Cooley Rd. between NE 18th St and Hwy 97
Level 1 Be Ready: NE 18th, Talus Place, and residents along the west side of Deschutes Market Rd.
A temporary evacuation point and Red Cross shelter was set up at Mountain View High School. But before 9 p.m. came word from DCSO that it "has been closed due to lack of need. If shelter needs arise related to evacuations for the Mile Marker 132 Fire, contact 1-800-REDCROSS."
You can check the latest Deschutes Alert notifications at https://member.everbridge.net/892807736723736/notif and the latest evacuation map at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6f8868c4477e462b8a653a89260268fc
While firefighters from numerous agencies and air support tackled the blaze, police went door to door in several mobile home parks and affected neighborhoods including homes off Hunters Circle, advising people to leave, and those who did encountered backed-up traffic due to knocked out traffic signals.
This fire broke out amid temperatures at or above 100 degrees and a red flag warning of critical fire weather after over 100 fires burned over 1.2 million acres across Oregon over the past month.
Pacific Power initially reported 14,000 customers lost power due to damage to a line, but that was down to about 3,700 shortly after 5 p.m. and about 1,500 two hours later, awaiting repairs to a damaged line that could take until early Saturday to complete. Check the latest outage map here.
One lane of Highway 97 was blocked the first couple of hours of the firefight but later reopened amid reports around 5:30 p.m. of good progress on stopping the blaze by ground crews and air tankers.
