Akawana Fire, June 9

The 2,000-acre Akawana Fire reported June 7 is burning 13 miles north of the town of Sisters in the Oregon Dept. of Forestry’s Central Oregon District on private lands. ODF has dispatched an incident management team to the fire. It will take over command of the firefighting operation from local ODF forces Thursday morning, with the incident command post to be located at the ODF office in Sisters. The fire is burning in heavy brush and beetle-killed ponderosa pine fuels. Terrain is moderate, enabling bulldozers to build fire line effectively. The fire burned actively Tuesday evening with steady winds promoting spread. ODF fire managers expect continued growth over the next 24 hours as wind is forecast to persist. The fire is threatening approximately 1,200 homes in the Three Rivers subdivision near Lake Billy Chinook. Gov. Kate Brown has invoked the Oregon Conflagration Act to provide added protection to homes and other structures. The Conflagration Act authorizes structural firefighters and equipment from around the state to assist local fire departments in battling the fire. In addition, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has dispatched a structural incident management team to the fire to assist with protection of homes and other structures.