Wildfire On Black Butte Now 400 Acres

POSTED: 6:58 am PDT July 6, 2009

UPDATED: 8:33 pm PDT July 7, 2009

SISTERS, Ore. -- A wildfire caused by lightning spread to 400 acres Tuesday near Black Butte Ranch, a vacation home community in central Oregon.

Wildfire:

Watch Aerial Video | View Slideshow

As of Tuesday evening., the fire had been 10 percent contained.

Authorities in central Oregon said the fire, first reported at 1:18 a.m., is located on a steep slope on the southeast side of Black Butte and is moving northeast.

The Black Butte Lookout Tower is the nearest building and has been evacuated; however, it is not being threatened by the fire. Black Butte Ranch itself, located about 1.5 miles south of the fire, is also not threatened, said officials from the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center.

"Early this morning, they were able to get a couple hot shot crews there real quick, and actually order about six 20-person crews to come in," said Jeree Mills of the US Forest Service. "They've got helicopters working and an air tanker working it and have ordered more resources besides that."

The flames were aggressively burning ponderosa pine and fir Monday morning, but officials said lower temperatures would help suppress the fire.

Authorities have named the fire the Black Butte II Fire and it's burning adjacent to an area burned by the Black Butte Fire in the 1980s. Officials with the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatcher Center said the old burn scar should help firefighters suppress the wildfire.

Fire officials said no residents or structures are being threatened by the fire and there is still no estimate for when it will be contained.

The following closures have been announced by authorities:

Indian Ford Campground has been evacuated.

Forest Roads 11, 1120 and 1430 are closed.

Black Butte Trail and the Metolius Windego Trail are closed.