Wind-driven wildfire spreads near popular central Oregon vacation spot and prompts evacuations

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WASHINGTON, June 27, (AP): A wildfire in Oregon’s high desert, near the popular vacation destination of Bend, grew rapidly Wednesday, and officials urged the continued evacuations of hundreds of homes in the area best known for its microbreweries, hiking, river rafting and skiing on nearby Mount Bachelor.
The wind-driven Darlene 3 wildfire was just outside city limits of La Pine, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Bend, and grew to nearly 4 square miles (10 square kilometers).
Video taken Tuesday showed a huge plume of thick smoke billowing behind homes, strip malls and grocery stores. Officials set up an evacuation center at a local high school and were working to get horses and other animals out of the area.
“We’re doing much better than we were yesterday,” Geoff Wullschlager, city manager of La Pine, said Wednesday.
Firefighters were able to build a defense around the fire overnight, and fire managers listed the blaze at 30% contained Wednesday.
The concern, however, was stronger winds forecasted for later Wednesday, which again could fan the fire.
Evacuation alerts were sent to 1,100 homes and businesses Tuesday, said Lt Jayson Janes of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. Those orders remained in effect Wednesday, Central Oregon Fire Info said. Janes said about 50-60 people sought refuge at a local high school serving as an evacuation center.
It was not known whether any structures had burned.
Jenny Braden didn’t have to go far to see the plume rising on the outskirts of La Pine. All she had to do was walk outside her house, where the swell of smoke was visible at the end of her street.
When she and her mother received an evacuation notice, they grabbed their four cats, a few personal items and left the house.
They then “spent the next few hours at Dairy Queen, watching the fire grow,” she said by text to The Associated Press on Wednesday. They went to a shelter, where they were informed their evacuation level wasn’t meant for immediate displacement and they could go home if they wanted.
They did but were focused on the fire all night in case they had to move quickly.
They have never had to evacuate before, but there were many close calls in the last several years, Braden said.

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