The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Two lightning-sparked fires are burning east of Monty Campground, which lies on the lower Metolius River above Lake Billy Chinook.

The two fires, sparked by the storm that moved through the area on Thursday, August 5, are approximately one mile apart. According to Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch, crews are working with aerial resources on the Monty Fire (768) and Bean Creek Fire (766).

The Monty Fire is estimated to be five acres and the Bean Creek Fire is estimated to be 20 acres, both with active fire behavior and spotting on Thursday.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 1 evacuation notice (Get Ready) for houses on Montgomery Shores on the Metolius Arm of Lake Billy Chinook. The public is asked to stay out of the area with fire traffic and local residents only are allowed past Perry South Campground.

Rappellers are working Monty and smokejumpers are working Bean Creek with a hotshot crew expected to arrive early on Friday. Shortly after the fire was first reported, firefighting efforts on the ground were supported by a heavy helicopter.

“The most important thing members of the public can do to help firefighters right now is to do their part to prevent human-caused fires,” fire officials stated in a release on Thursday night. “With an increasing number of acres on fire in the Pacific Northwest, fire and aviation resources are stretched thin. The public is reminded that we remain in EXTREME fire danger and public use restrictions are in place on all federally managed public lands. Do your part to prevent one more spark.”