Firefighters attack the Bruler Fire from the air on July 12, 2021 (Courtesy/U.S. Forest Service)
Fire crews are fighting a wildfire in Willamette National Forest in the Sweet Home Ranger District about eight miles south of Detroit Lake. Officials said no people or structures were threatened as of Tuesday afternoon.
A U.S. Forest Service lookout spotted the fire Monday, according to a news release, and local fire crews battled the flames on the ground and from the air.
The Bruler Fire had grown to between 80 and 100 acres by Tuesday afternoon, said Joanie Schmidgall, a public information officer with the Forest Service.
The area burning is near the intersection of Forest Road 11 (Straight Creek Road/Quartzville Road) and Forest Road 1133, the Forest Service said. Smoke is visible in Detroit and from Santiam Pass.
A State of Oregon map shows the approximate location of the Bruler Fire on July 13, 2021.
The fire was 0% contained as of Tuesday morning. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“This fire does have the potential to spread and the forest is very dry,” said Sweet Home District Ranger and agency administrator Nikki Swanson in a press statement. “The safety of the public and the firefighters is our first priority. We’re in the process of closing several roads and trails to ensure firefighters can work efficiently and that the public remains safe.”
Swanson said the Forest Service intends to extinguish the fire completely.
The public is asked to avoid Daly Lake, Tule Lake, the Old Cascade Crest trails, Forest Roads 11 (Straight Creek Road/Quartzville Road), Forest Road 10 leading south from Detroit Lake and Forest Roads 1161, 1133 and 1012, the release said.
-Rachel Alexander
