Fireworks spark blaze at Round Butte

Published 12:33 am Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Firefighters responded to three new wildfires around Central Oregon Sunday, including a small blaze late Sunday afternoon sparked by juveniles playing with fireworks 5 miles southwest of Madras.

The fire charred 2 acres on Round Butte, according to Lisa Clark, spokeswoman with Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center. Fire crews from the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land Management and Jefferson County quickly contained the 5:30 p.m. fire.

Firefighters Sunday evening were responding to the report of a quarter-acre blaze in the Maury Mountains east of Prineville and a single tree burning south of U.S. Highway 20 between Brothers and Hampton, she said. Lightning caused both fires.

While smaller than originally estimated Saturday, the Sugarloaf Fire burning 8 miles north of Dayville continues to be the largest active fire in Central Oregon at more than 4,000 acres. A team of 250 firefighters is on the fire, Clark said, which is burning through grass and brush. As of Sunday evening firefighters had the fire 20 percent contained.

Thanks to smoke lifting Sunday afternoon, a helicopter was able to better map the fire and give a size of 4,095 acres, Clark said. Cause of the fire remains undetermined.

Saturday the fire also burned an outbuilding and a vehicle and prompted evacuations on and near Dick Creek Road. As of Sunday evening residents had been allowed back in their homes, according to the dispatch center, although the fire continues to grow to the south. Firefighters have set up a fire camp at the Dayville School.

While firefighters kept most of the nearly two dozen wildfires discovered Saturday small, other fires of note include:

• Bear Creek Fire — About 7 miles south of Prineville Reservoir near Bear Creek Butte. Firefighters contained the fire Sunday after holding it to 30 acres. Lightning caused the blaze.

• Buck Creek Fire — About 18 miles northeast of Hampton. The fire remains at 250 acres and firefighters have it 90 percent contained. Lightning sparked the fire.

— Dylan J. Darling