Oregon Public Broadcasting

Rooster Rock fire, raging just south of Sisters, has spread substantially in the last 24 hours.

David Nogueras / OPB

Tuesday afternoon, firefighters feared the northwesterly winds, typical of that time of day might push the fire toward the southeast. 

As it turns out that’s what happened.  Flames spotted over the fireline causing fire crews to work though the night with bulldozers to re-encircle the blaze.

Estimates from a thermal imaging flight conducted early Wednesday morning estimate the fire's perimeter to be about 4200 acres. But a spokesman for the Central Oregon Incident Management Team, Bill Johnson says this number reflects the perimeter of the fire rather than the number of acres burned.

David Nogueras / OPB

No homes have been lost, although one non-residential structure, reportedly a pumphouse, has been lost.

There are currently 5 homes within the perimeter of the fire.  All of these households have been evacuated.

At a public meeting last night in Sisters, Captain Mark Mills with the Deschutes County Sheriffs office told the crowd of about 125, that residents that refuse to evacuate won’t be arrested, but they’ll be doing so at their own peril.

Weather conditions are expected to be similar to Tuesday, approaching 90 degrees with moderate winds.

Online:

Rooster Rock Incident Update Site