A wildfire that ignited over Memorial Day weekend in central Oregon has swiftly expanded to encompass approximately 3,000 acres in unincorporated Wasco County. The blaze, dubbed the "Butte Creek Fire," is actively burning through grass, brush, and timber and has been reported by KGW to be located about 9 miles north of the small community of Clarno, near Fossil.
The Central OR Fire Info, a resource for tracking wildfires in the area, has been actively to update the public on the fire's status. According to OregonLive, the Butte Creek fire is blazing across land managed by both private owners and the Prineville district of the Bureau of Land Management. The location of the fire is northeast of the Warm Springs Reservation and north of the Ochoco National Forest.
In the face of this aggressive wildfire, local authorities have stressed the urgency for homeowners to prepare for potential evacuation and safeguard their homes. A critical measure mentioned is the removal of dead or dry brush within a 30-foot perimeter of residences to cut down the risk of fire spread. As "We preach the importance of being accountable for your property and your home and cleaning up that area so that fire spread isn’t super dangerous," Dawson-Hurley informed KOIN. Homeowners are also advised to sign up for local fire alerts, to devise an evacuation plan, and to prepare a bag packed with essentials such as medicine and food.
