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The Nugget Newspaper
Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Fire remains a threat
By Jim Cornelius

Sisters, Tuesday, July 30, 8:00 a.m. -- Firefighters took advantage of low winds and powerful air support to make a strong push against the Cache Mountain fire on Monday, July 29.

The fire was reported as 60 percent contained, but firefighters remained wary as the weather poised to change.

The Tuesday forecast called for higher winds with gusts up to 25 miles per hour as an onshore flow entered the region. Humidity levels were forecast to be low. Those conditions pose a danger of more spot fires, which could cause the fire to spread quickly.

"We all need to be aware that that potential continues to exist today," said fire behavior specialist Ted Meade at a Tuesday morning briefing.

Despite the concerns, firefighters were very pleased with the progress made on Monday. Air tankers made 50 retardant drops on the fire -- six runs short of an all-time record for the Redmond Air Center.

At an average of 2,000 gallons per drop, that means aircrews put more than 100,000 gallons of retardant down on the fire. Retardant not only helps douse flames -- it makes it more difficult for spot fires to ignite and spread, giving ground crews time to respond and put out fires.

That kind of aggressive air attack on spot fires and hot spots was to continue on Tuesday.

Earlier revisions of the acreage figure proved incorrect and fire officials reestablished the acreage burned at 4,200 acres.

Crews will continue mop up operations and patrols in Black Butte Ranch, where two homes burned on Sunday afternoon, July 28.

Tentative plans are set for a partial reopening of the Ranch on Wednesday, July 31, but those plans are contingent upon fire conditions.

The fire burned actively on the south and east flank of the fire on Monday, but did not immediately threaten to re-enter the Ranch.

Highway 20 was reopened early Tuesday morning, with pilot cars regulating traffic and delays of 20 minutes expected in the fire area west of Sisters.

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