The fire, burning in rugged terrain across Deschutes and Jefferson counties, was 5% contained after a weekend of rapid expansion. "The incident, for the first time in the last three days, is really beginning to stabilize," said Travis Medema, Oregon's chief deputy state fire marshal, during a community meeting in Sisters.
More than 1,200 firefighters have established protective lines around the entire perimeter, though authorities warned that potential thunderstorms could bring erratic winds that would challenge containment efforts. Evacuation orders for some of the more than 4,000 homes initially threatened were lifted Monday evening.
Meanwhile, in Northern California's wine country, the Pickett Fire has charred about 10 square miles of remote Napa County but so far spared the region's famous vineyards. The fire was 15% contained Monday, with water-dropping helicopters working to keep flames contained to canyons.
Jayson Woodbridge of Hundred Acre wines described a close call when the fire erupted Thursday, racing along slopes near his property. "The water was evaporating as fast as we were spraying it out there," he recalled. "It was just a hot funnel of air. Fire was just engulfing everything."
Firefighting resources have been prioritized to protect wineries, especially with winds expected to pick up later in the week. Michelle Novi of Napa Valley Vintners reported no damage to vineyards so far.
The western United States continues to grapple with a severe heat wave that has complicated firefighting efforts and is being investigated as a possible factor in the death of a 56-year-old Multnomah County man.
Tragedy struck in Montana, where a 60-year-old contract firefighter from Oregon died Sunday from a cardiac emergency while battling the Bivens Creek fire.