Oregon Public Broadcasting

A wildfire has forced the evacuation of the fire lookout station on Black Butte.

The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center says the fire was reported early Monday and grew quickly.  It was burning over about 300 acres at mid-morning. 

No structures or campgrounds are threatened.  The fire is burning away from the Black Butte Ranch resort, which lies 1 1/2 miles to the south.

The dispatch center says it appears that lightning sparked the fire.

Oregon Department of Forestry spokesman Rod Nichols says the summer wildfire season is underway statewide.

Rod Nichols: “We've definitely seen the forest fuels drying out with the onset of summer weather and so fire danger out there is rising.”

Those fighting the fire  on Black Butte have been helped by a change in the weather. The hot Fourth of July weekend gave way to temperatures in the high 60s.