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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.

An air tanker drops thousands of gallons of retardant on a spot fire. (photo by Steve Rodgers) more photos

Map of the fire. Click to enlarge

Cache Mountain Fire edition

Note: We are posting new information as it becomes available. The latest stories are at the top of this page.

For the week's other news, click here.

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Cache Mountain fire contained
The Cache Mountain fire is now 100 percent contained.

Second firefighter appreciation rally scheduled
Community members will hold another firefighter appreciation rally on Friday evening, August 2, at Sisters High School.

Black Butte Ranch: "Business as usual"
Black Butte Ranch was set for "business as usual" on Thursday, August 1.

BBR residents to return today
Black Butte Ranch residents will return to their homes at 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, after three nights and two days of evacuation. They got that piece of good news at a noon meeting at Sisters Elementary School.

Firefighters begin to mop up
Cache Mountain fire
Fire crews were focusing on mop up operations on the Cache Mountain fire on Wednesday, July 31. The fire is 85 percent contained at 4,200 acres.

BBR targets Wednesday opening
As firefighters work to get the upper hand on the Cache Mountain fire, Black Butte Ranch officials are targeting a 3 p.m. re-opening of the Ranch on Wednesday, July 31.

Chief: "Houses were involved when we got there"
The two homes that were lost when the Cache Mountain fire invaded Black Butte Ranch on Sunday, July 31, could not have been saved, according to Fire Chief Ed Sherrell.

Highway 20 open for two-lane traffic
Highway 20 is now open to two-lane traffic, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Fire remains a threat
Firefighters took advantage of low winds and powerful air support to make a strong push against the Cache Mountain fire on Monday, July 29.

Cache fire 60 percent contained
The Cache Mountain fire was 60 percent contained on Monday evening, July 29. Fire officials estimate that the fire will be fully contained on Thursday, August 1.

Cache Mountain fire overview
The Cache Mountain fire made one terrifying run on Sunday afternoon, July 28 -- enough to destroy two homes at the northwest corner of Black Butte Ranch and forced up to 5,000 people to flee the resort community.

Air tankers mobilized to fight fire
Air tankers are playing a vital role in fighting the Cache Mountain fire west of Black Butte Ranch.

Pilots attack fire from the air
Two Weyerhauser helicopters have been flying in and out of Sisters Airport, fighting the Cache Mountain fire and assisting forces to save homes on Black Butte Ranch.

Command center set up at high school
The Cache Mountain fire has transformed Sisters High School into a fire command center.

Cache Mountain fire active on flanks
As of Monday afternoon, firefighters were battling the Cache Mountain fire to a standstill.

Portions of BBR could open Wednesday
Portions of Black Butte Ranch could be reopened as early as Wednesday -- if the fire situation does not worsen.

Ranch residents must stay out for now
Black Butte Ranch will remain evacuated until fire officials are absolutely confident that the Cache Mountain fire will not blow up again and ignite fires on the Ranch.

Governor Kitzhaber: "It's a war"
Governor Kitzhaber assured firefighters and local residents that the State of Oregon is putting out a maximum effort to battle the Cache Mountain fire, which burned two homes on Black butte Ranch on Sunday, July 28.

Firefighters save homes
Homes saved at Black Butte Ranch were very close to homes that burned. Only great effort on the part of Black Butte Ranch firefighters, standing in "defensible space," saved them.

It's not over
The Cache Fire that has destroyed two houses at Black Butte Ranch is still a threat, despite "lying down" over night.

Blaze "advanced like a firestorm"
Both homes lost to fire at Black Butte Ranch were on the northwest corner of the property. There are another 84 structures "at risk" from flames that surged onto the Ranch.

Homes lost at Black Butte Ranch
At least two homes have been lost at Black Butte Ranch, and the Ranch has been 80 percent evacuated. Acording to one woman "When our parents were evactuated, there was already one house burning."

Black Butte Ranch evacuated
Wind-driven spot fires at Black Butte Ranch forced the evacuation of the resort community 10 miles west of Sisters. Highway 20 has been closed to allow vehicles to exit the Ranch.

Firefighters optimistic on Cache fires
Although the Cache Mountain fire grew to 3,300 acres overnight, firefighters were optimistic that they would get the upper hand on the blaze by mid-day Sunday, July 28.

Black Butte Ranch prepares for fire
Fire officials are keeping an eye on an imaginary "green line" between the Black Butte Ranch boundary and the Cache Mountain fire, which has covered about 2,100 acres and in some places is about one-half mile from the Ranch.

Black Butte Ranch evacuation plans
If fire officials decide to evacuate Black Butte Ranch, a reverse 9-1-1 recorded phone message will be sent alerting residents about evacuation plans. This evacuation will only be instituted if officials deem the fire a sufficient danger to BBR.

Cache fire grows to 1,900 acres
The Cache Mountain Fire, burning some 11 mile northwest of Sisters, grown to approximately 1,900 acres, with wind-driven spot fires forming on the northeast and southeast flanks of the fire.

Winds push Cache Mountain fire
Stiffening winds with gusts up to 15 to 20 miles per hour pushed the Cache Mountain Fire to the northeast on Friday afternoon, July 26.

Cache Mountain fire burns 700 acres
The Cache Mountain Fire grew to approximately 700 acres by Friday morning, July 26.

Camp Tamarack evacuated 
Camp Tamarack was evacuated on Thursday afternoon, July 25, as the Cache Mountain Fire approached within a mile to a mile-and-a-half of the recreational facility.

Cache Mountain fire update 
The Cache Mountain Fire some 18 miles west of Sisters had burned 634 acres by Thursday morning, July 25, according to an aerial infrared survey Wednesday evening.

Lightning sets new fires
Lightning strikes Tuesday evening, July 23, touched off a wildfire on Cache Mountain some 18 miles west of Sisters.