Lightning-sparked fire near Mt. Bachelor closes resort, prompts forest evacuations; blaze S. of Pine Mtn. now at 3,000 acres

(Update: More on Level 3 evacuation; Level 2 in place S of Pine Mountain

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – One of dozens of lightning-sparked fires being tackled around the region Saturday after Friday night's round of thunderstorms prompted a Level 3 GO NOW evacuation and closure of Mt. Bachelor and nearby areas, including Sparks Lake and Devils Lake, officials said Saturday afternoon.

The evacuation zone due to the Backside Fire, 50 acres and moving north at last report, also included the Todd Creek Horse Camp, Quinn Meadow and associated trail systems, officials said on the county’s emergency evacuation map. The evacuated area appears larger than the city of Bend, by comparison.

"Level 3: Means “GO” evacuate now. Leave immediately!" the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reminded. "Danger to your area is current or imminent, and you should evacuate immediately. If you choose to ignore this advisement, you must understand that emergency services may not be available to assist you further. DO NOT delay leaving to gather any belongings or make efforts to protect your home. This will be the last notice you receive."

Mt. Bachelor announced shortly after 1 p.m. that it was suspending all operations for the rest of the day “due to active fires in the area and extreme fire risk.” They advised to stay tuned for updates on Sunday operations.

Central Oregon fire crews scrambled by air and ground Saturday to stop and contain dozens of new lightning-sparked blazes, the largest fire being the Firestone Fire, growing to about 3,000 acres southeast of Paulina Lake in eastern Deschutes County.

The Firestone Fire near the Lake County line had grown to 3,000 acres by mid-afternoon, with numerous air and ground crews fighting it. A Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) was being ordered.

It broke out in brush and timber 26 miles east of La Pine on the Deschutes National Forest, southeast of East Butte, Central Oregon fire officials said in a post to their X/Twitter feed Saturday afternoon.

The Forest Service said the fire led to the closure of all trails south of Groundhog Butte, north of South Ice Cave, west of the Sand Spring OHV area and east of Pumice Butte.

Garibay said the Level 2 BE SET evacuation area for that fire was between Forest Service Road 18 (China Hat Road) and  FS Road 23 (Sand .Springs Road).

Garibay reminded: "Level 2: Means “BE SET” to evacuate. You must prepare to leave at a moment’s notice. This level indicates there is significant danger to your area, and residents should either voluntary relocate to a shelter or with family and friends outside of the affected area, or if choosing to remain, to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Residents MAY have time to gather necessary items, but doing so is at their own risk. This may be the only notice you receive. Emergency services cannot guarantee that they will be able to notify you if conditions rapidly deteriorate. Area media services will be asked to broadcast periodic updates."

Forest Service officials said crews responded to over a dozen fires in the Mt. Bachelor Roadless area. As a result, visitors in the areas of Todd Lake, Elk Lake, Lava Lake and the Metolius-Windigo Trail were advised they could expect to see fire traffic, including aircraft. In areas that did not evacuate, officials said that “visitors should remain aware of surroundings.”

Late Friday night, Deschutes County emergency managers issued the Level 2 BE SET notice after several new fires were reported south of Pine Mountain, toward Fort Rock, grouped as Incident 851 (later named the Firestone Fire).

“Campers and those recreating should consider evacuating or should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice,” the Deschutes Alert notice stated.

At Mt. Bachelor, a lightning-sparked fire broke out Friday evening in the Northwest area of the resort, bringing Forest Service crews to manage it, Director of Marketing & Communications Lauren Burke said.

Central Oregon fire officials said Saturday morning that crews were responding to about 15 new fire starts, from a quarter-acre to about 150 acres in size, across the Newberry Division of the Deschutes National Forest south of Bend from Friday’s lightning storm, clustered near the eastern edge of Flat Top Butte and East Butte.