Camp Creek Fire near Mt. Hood more than 1,200 acres
CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) - The Camp Creek Fire near Sandy has grown to more than 1,200 acres with 0% containment, as of Sunday evening.
Incident command says it’s been hundreds of years since a significant fire in the area, and the old growth timber and steep terrain coupled with the warm and dry weather are making it a complex firefight.
Camp Creek Facebook page
Incident management page for Camp Creek Fire
Multiple agencies updated the community at Sandy High School Sunday night:
People who live near the Camp Creek Fire continued going about their normal Sunday activities, but remained on high alert.
“Of course, it’s alarming that there’s a fire within five miles,” Stuart Bennett said.
Linda Hogan said there has been a lot of smoke.
“You get worried when it gets this close to your house,” Hogan said.
Authorities say a lightning strike sparked the fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest Thursday.
The Camp Creek Fire in the Bull Run Watershed is located about a mile-and-a-half south of Bull Run Reservoir No. 1.
The Bull Run Reservoir is Portland’s primary source of drinking water. The Portland Water Bureau said as of Sunday evening, they have not seen any fire-related impact to water quality. And they confirmed that local drinking water remains safe.
“We take our responsibility to preserve safe, clean drinking water seriously,” said Water Bureau Director Gabe Solmer. “We are watching this situation closely and are reviewing options to continue delivering drinking water.”
Fire officials said about 160 personnel are working the fire. There are three helicopters and two aircraft responding to help with the attack. The fire is believed to have started by lightning.
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People say nearby communities are keeping an eye out for official alerts and for one another.
“We watched the fire trucks come down and you get worried,” Hogan said. “We all kind of keep track of each other and if we see something that you know. We get on the phone and call our neighbors.”
No structures are being threatened at this time, according to Clackamas Fire. No evacuations have been ordered.
The National Weather Service reported more than a thousand lightning strikes across Oregon and parts of southern Washington and northern California overnight Thursday.
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