Officials said that a new wildfire broke out Tuesday afternoon, 15 miles northwest of Lakeview. It raced across 1,500 acres at nightfall and showed no signs of slowing down, a report said.
Around 1:45 pm, the Cougar Peak Fire was detected in Fremont-Winema National Forest’s Lakeview Ranger District.
It was spread over 1,500 acres and had no containment. Officials stated that the fire behavior was active and involved running, torching, and spotting in mixed conifer and brush.
Investigators are currently investigating the cause of this fire. The Oregon Department of Forestry is also at risk.
With many resources available, Wildland firefighters continued fighting the fire into the night. An Incident Management Team of Type 2 has been established.
Tuesday’s turbulence impacted air resources. Five heavy air tankers dropped retardant in the afternoon and evening, despite this.
The smoke from the fire can be seen along Oregon State Highway 140 between Lakeview & Quartz Mountain as well as U.S. Highway 395. The Cougar Peak Fire smoke is also affecting the Summer Lake, Valley Falls, and Paisley communities.
Due to the increased traffic caused by wildland firefighting equipment, and possibly reduced visibility from smoke, drivers were advised to be cautious. Residents and visitors were also asked to refrain from traveling on Forest Road 28 or Forest Road 3870 near the fire. Also known as Cottonwood Road.
The area was closed to all recreation sites, including Upper Cottonwood Campground which is located about 1 1/2 miles west of the fire, and Cottonwood Creek Trailhead. Lake County sheriff’s deputies evacuated the campground Tuesday afternoon.
At 8 p.m., a Red Flag Warning was issued for high gusty winds and low relative humidity.
Residents and visitors to the area were reminded of Public Use Restrictions still in place at Fremont-Winema National Forest. Also, there are fire restrictions on neighboring landscapes.
Lake and Klamath counties still have fire dangers that are “Extreme”. Even a tiny spark can quickly grow into a wildfire if it is fuelled by seasonal winds and extremely dry fuels. These fires can cause severe damage, evacuations, loss of property, and even firefighter safety.
The public must ensure that they are familiar with the restrictions placed on the landscapes they intend to recreate or work on. These prohibitions can result in citations or fines for all agencies.
The latest restrictions and regulations, including for ODF and the federal agencies, are available at https://scofmp.org/restrictions.shtml.
