Highway 97 south of La Pine closed as Jackpine fire spreads to 65 acres, evening cooling helps firefighters; Alert Level 2 in effect

(Update: Jackpine Fire 65 Acres, cooler temperatures help firefighters lay lines)

LA PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A wildfire reported early Friday afternoon off Masten Road south of La Pine prompted crews from numerous agencies to conduct an air and ground response, prompting first a Level 1 (BE READY) evacuation warning and then a more comprehensive Level 2 (BE SET) warning. By nightfall, the fire expanded to 65 acres and led to the closure of U.S. Highway 97.

“Firefighters are making good progress building the bulldozer line around the perimeter of the fire. Crews will continue to work on the Jackpine Fire throughout the night,” officials said in a 9:40 p.m. update.

Incident 465, later called the Jackpine Fire, was reported around 12:30 p.m. south of Masten Road, east of Deer Forest Drive and west of Jackpine Loop, about 1.5 miles southwest of La Pine, Central Oregon Fire Department officials said on their X/Twitter feed.

Officials said around 6:25 p.m. that the fire was estimated to be 50 acres in size and had “active fire behavior” and containment had dropped from 30% to 0%.

ODOT TripCheck showed Highway 97 closed near milepost 169, one mile north of the intersection with Oregon Highway 31. The agency said a four-mile stretch of the highway between mileposts 169 and 173 was closed.

“Postpone your trip or use an alternative route,” they said. “Be careful and be aware of workers working in the area.”

Crews from the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District, Sunriver Fire, Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry and Walker Range Fire Patrol were called to the scene early in the afternoon to work together to stop and extinguish the fire. La Pine Fire Chief Erick Holsey said the first crews found isolated tree fires and spot fires when they arrived.

By 2 p.m., the fire was about 5 percent contained, and a bulldozer was pulling fire lines, Holsey said.

A Level 1 evacuation order was initially imposed for homes in Deer Forest and on an adjacent ranch, the fire chief said, adding that the cause of the fire was under investigation.

At approximately 3 p.m., after the fire reignited and jumped Jackpine Loop, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 2 BE SET Warning for all residents west of Highway 97 and south of Masten Road to the Deschutes-Klamath County line. The latest map can be found at http://www.deschutes.org/emergency.

Responding crews included fire trucks, bulldozers, 10-person hand crews and aircrew from the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District and neighboring fire departments, the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Walker Range Fire Patrol, the BLM and the Forest Service. Firefighters on the ground were supported by airstrikes, firefighting aircraft and helicopters.

Firefighters were busy building bulldozers and using aircraft throughout the afternoon to slow the spread of the fire. The fire was very active during the high afternoon temperatures.

“Currently, fire activity has decreased due to cooler evening temperatures,” officials said in a 9:30 p.m. update. “Firefighters are making good progress building a bulldozer line around the fire. The fire is currently still on the west side of Highway 97. Crews will continue to work on the Jackpine fire throughout the night.”

Holsey had said in a 5:30 p.m. update that the fire was 30% contained (later down to zero). They had raised a second alarm for building protection, deployed two crews from across the county, and the Level 2 evacuation order was still in effect.

Central Oregon Fire Department officials said shortly before 6 p.m. that the fire had spread to an estimated 20 acres and later to 50 acres and was burning on both Prineville District BLM and private property.

“Firefighters on the ground continue to use helicopters and firefighting aircraft to slow the spread of the fire while they work to establish a bulldozer line around the fire,” they said.

To the south, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 1 “BE READY” evacuation order for both sides of Highway 97 south of the county line, including Antelope Meadow and Long Prairie.