Darlene 3 Wildfire Threatens La Pine, OregonDarlene 3 Wildfire Threatens La Pine, Oregon The wind-driven Darlene 3 wildfire located near La Pine, Oregon, has grown to nearly six square miles. A large plume of smoke was seen behind homes, shopping centers, and supermarkets on Tuesday. Officials have established an evacuation center at a local high school and are removing horses and other animals from the area. The fire is 30% contained, but stronger winds are expected later Wednesday, posing a risk of reignition. Evacuation warnings have been issued for over 1,100 homes and businesses, and about 50-60 people have sought refuge at the evacuation center. It is unknown whether any buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Local resident Jenny Braden witnessed the smoke rising from her home and evacuated with her mother and their four cats. They spent several hours at a nearby restaurant monitoring the fire before returning home but remaining vigilant. Firefighters are using bulldozers to establish control lines around the fire. La Pine Rodeo Grounds is serving as a livestock and small animal shelter. The Darlene 3 fire is one of several dangerous wildfires currently active in the United States. In New Mexico, two wildfires have forced thousands of people to evacuate, causing two deaths and significant property damage. In central California, a cluster of three major wildfires and several smaller wildfires has burned nearly 17 square miles. Evacuation orders and warnings are in place, and a shelter has been established at a university.
The wind-driven Darlene 3 wildfire was located just outside the city limits of La Pine, about 30 miles south of Bend, and grew to nearly 6 square miles.
A video taken on Tuesday showed a huge plume of smoke behind homes, shopping centers and supermarkets. Officials set up an evacuation center at a local high school and were working to remove horses and other animals from the area.
“We are doing much better than we were yesterday,” La Pine City Manager Geoff Wullschlager said Wednesday.
Firefighters were able to build a defense around the fire overnight, and firefighters estimated the blaze was 30% contained as of Wednesday.
However, the concern was that stronger winds were forecast for later Wednesday, which could reignite the fire.
Evacuation warnings were sent to 1,100 homes and businesses on Tuesday, said Lt. Jayson Janes of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. Those orders remained in effect Wednesday, Central Oregon Fire Info said. Janes said about 50 to 60 people took refuge at a local high school that served as an evacuation center.
It is not known whether any buildings burned down.
Jenny Braden didn’t have to travel far to see the plume rising from the edge of La Pine. All she had to do was walk out of her house, where the cloud of smoke was visible at the end of her street.
When she and her mother received an evacuation order, they packed their four cats and a few personal items and left the house.
They then “spent the next few hours at Dairy Queen watching the fire grow,” she told The Associated Press by text message on Wednesday. They went to a shelter, where they were told their evacuation level was not for immediate displacement and that they could go home if they wanted.
They did, but they were focused on the fire all night in case they needed to act quickly.
They have never had to evacuate before, but there have been many close calls in recent years, Braden said.
“This is the first one that was this close, this fast and at level two,” she said. “It’s super scary!”
Braden worked from home Wednesday, distracted by helicopters and planes flying overhead and dumping fire retardant and water on the fire.
“We’re keeping an eye on things, packing more stuff and keeping the cats in the living room in case we have to go out again,” she said.
Firefighters from the Central Oregon Fire Management Service used bulldozers, or heavy construction equipment modified to fight wildfires, to establish control lines around the fire.
La Pine High School served as a temporary evacuation point, while La Pine Rodeo Grounds hosted a livestock and small animal shelter.
TV station KTVZ reported that several U.S. Forest Service campsites and trails had been evacuated and closed.
La Pine is located approximately 190 miles (309 kilometers) south of Portland.
The fire is one of the last dangerous fires in the US. In New Mexico, thousands of people fled their homes last week as two fast-moving wildfires approached their village. Two people were killed and officials estimate that about 1,500 buildings were destroyed or damaged.
Search and rescue crews this week evacuated more properties in areas of Ruidoso, the mountain community hardest hit by the flames. Authorities confirmed at a public meeting on Wednesday that 1,300 buildings had been searched and no human remains were found.
Mayor Lynn Crawford also said the list of missing residents is now at zero.
In central California, a new cluster of three major wildfires and several smaller wildfires covered nearly 17 square miles in rural eastern Fresno County, with 20% containment. The Fresno June Lightning Complex was ignited in the rugged foothills as the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto swept across the state Monday afternoon.
“We had over a thousand lightning strikes to hit the county,” Cal Fire unit chief Dustin Hail said at a briefing, adding that other fires that have not yet materialized could emerge in several days.
Several areas were under evacuation orders or warnings, and a shelter was set up at a university.
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