Community evacuated as wildfire threatens
1:00 AM
Posted: Wednesday, September 05, 2007
SISTERS, Ore. (AP) -- A 6,000-acre wildfire spread to within a half-mile of an upscale community in central Oregon, forcing residents to evacuate.
Thousands of people live on Black Butte Ranch in summer, but many had left before Monday's evacuation order.
The blaze was only about 5 percent contained after blackening 9 square mines. No homes were in immediate danger, though, and the wind was expected to continue weakening after dying down from Monday's 30 mph gusts, said information officer Pam Sichting.
Residents were being allowed to return starting Tuesday evening but were warned that they may need to leave again.
In neighboring Idaho, flaming trees, boulders and other debris that were loosened by fire and sent rolling onto a state highway north of here forced the closure Tuesday of a 14-mile section of road.
The wildfire began Monday night and has blackened more than 3.5 square miles in an area four miles south of Banks and along steep, forested slopes near State Highway 55. No structures were threatened.
Meanwhile, a wildfire that spread across 75 square miles near the Idaho resort communities of Sun Valley and Ketchum, leading to the evacuation of 2,500 homes, was fully contained Tuesday.
All mandatory evacuation orders had been lifted, no buildings were lost and there were no serious injuries, fire officials said.
Fire crews in Southern California faced a double threat of rising temperatures and low humidity Tuesday as they fought to control mostly small wildfires that threatened some rural homes and closed highways.
A nearly 20-mile stretch of California's coastal Highway 101 was closed overnight while crews in Santa Barbara County fought a 200-acre blaze. The fire, which was about 70 percent contained, started Monday evening, burned across the highway and damaged railroad tracks, Fire Incident Commander Bob Dell said. The highway reopened Tuesday morning.
A five-mile stretch of another highway was closed near Big Bear Lake, east of Los Angeles, while crews tackled an 85-acre wildfire in the San Bernardino National Forest. That blaze was nearly contained and the highway was expected to reopen Tuesday night, fire officials said.
Near San Jose, Calif., a wildfire in Henry Coe State Park had spread across more than 3,000 acres early Tuesday and was threatening private cabins, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman said.
In the Angeles National Forest near Santa Clarita, Calif., firefighters ordered the evacuations of about 25 rural homes south of Acton on Monday after a two-day-old fire unexpectedly grew by hundreds of acres.
The blaze died down and was 20 percent contained, but authorities warned flames could spread again.
Thousands of people live on Black Butte Ranch in summer, but many had left before Monday's evacuation order.
The blaze was only about 5 percent contained after blackening 9 square mines. No homes were in immediate danger, though, and the wind was expected to continue weakening after dying down from Monday's 30 mph gusts, said information officer Pam Sichting.
Residents were being allowed to return starting Tuesday evening but were warned that they may need to leave again.
In neighboring Idaho, flaming trees, boulders and other debris that were loosened by fire and sent rolling onto a state highway north of here forced the closure Tuesday of a 14-mile section of road.
The wildfire began Monday night and has blackened more than 3.5 square miles in an area four miles south of Banks and along steep, forested slopes near State Highway 55. No structures were threatened.
Meanwhile, a wildfire that spread across 75 square miles near the Idaho resort communities of Sun Valley and Ketchum, leading to the evacuation of 2,500 homes, was fully contained Tuesday.
All mandatory evacuation orders had been lifted, no buildings were lost and there were no serious injuries, fire officials said.
Fire crews in Southern California faced a double threat of rising temperatures and low humidity Tuesday as they fought to control mostly small wildfires that threatened some rural homes and closed highways.
A nearly 20-mile stretch of California's coastal Highway 101 was closed overnight while crews in Santa Barbara County fought a 200-acre blaze. The fire, which was about 70 percent contained, started Monday evening, burned across the highway and damaged railroad tracks, Fire Incident Commander Bob Dell said. The highway reopened Tuesday morning.
A five-mile stretch of another highway was closed near Big Bear Lake, east of Los Angeles, while crews tackled an 85-acre wildfire in the San Bernardino National Forest. That blaze was nearly contained and the highway was expected to reopen Tuesday night, fire officials said.
Near San Jose, Calif., a wildfire in Henry Coe State Park had spread across more than 3,000 acres early Tuesday and was threatening private cabins, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman said.
In the Angeles National Forest near Santa Clarita, Calif., firefighters ordered the evacuations of about 25 rural homes south of Acton on Monday after a two-day-old fire unexpectedly grew by hundreds of acres.
The blaze died down and was 20 percent contained, but authorities warned flames could spread again.
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