Tag: Milli Fire

Above: An air tanker maneuvers over the Milli Fire, August 18, 2017. Photo by Tommy Schroeder, PIO.

(Updated at 6:32 p.m. PDT August 19, 2017.)

The Milli Fire in Central Oregon was very active Thursday and Friday spreading to the east, growing to 7,800 acres. Friday night it was 4 miles southwest of Sisters and 16 miles northwest of Bend.

Strong winds Friday afternoon led to a spot fire across a containment line, pushing the fire 2 to 3 miles southeast toward the city of Sisters. The run triggered evacuations affecting approximately 600 people.

Crews overnight worked to build a direct line on the leading edge of the fire, with engine crews patrolling the area and dozer crews constructing fireline. Temperatures today (Saturday) are expected to be a few degrees cooler with higher humidity. However, the winds that pushed the fire on Friday will be back, with gusts up to 22 miles an hour, from around 10 am to 9 pm. Temperatures should range from 70 – 75 degrees, with humidity ranging from 22 to 26%.

The wind could cause more spot fires to develop and firefighters will be actively identifying them and containing them where possible. Also, today firefighters will be working to contain the area where the fire extended yesterday and will be constructing new containment lines between the fire’s edge and the communities that are threatened.

Engine task forces from the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office will be working in the evacuated neighborhoods, treating spaces around homes to provide better defensible space.

Aviation resources have been very important in fighting this fire. Three air tankers and one VLAT (very large air tanker) have been making repeated drops of fire retardant, creating fire lines and assisting our crews in inaccessible areas.

Oregon Highway 242 remains closed from Sisters west to Hwy 126. There are no reports of structures being destroyed in the fire.

The fire is just south of the eclipse path of totality. Highway 20 between Bend and Sisters is still open, but if it closes it could have an impact on eclipse viewers.

Here’s a #timelapse of the #MilliFire near Sisters. We spoke with a few folks evacuated today and they say this is tough to watch. pic.twitter.com/TNwBAAehWI

— John Hendricks (@JohnKPTV) August 19, 2017