The Nash Fire is a

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

that occurred in the

Deschutes National Forest The Deschutes National Forest is a United States national forest (NF) located in Central Oregon, in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties. It was established in 1908, with border changes following in 1911 and 1915. The f ...

and Willamette National Forest, on the southwest slope of the South Sister Mountain in

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The fire, which was started by

lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...

, started on August 10, 2017. The Nash Fire was part of the Horse Creek Complex but for reporting purposes was removed from the complex by authorities. The fire threatened the campgrounds and structures at Elk Lake, Hosmer Lake, Lava Lake, and Little Lava Lake.

Events

The Nash Fire was started on August 10, 2017, by a

strike on the southwest slope of the South Sister Mountain in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area in the Willamette National Forest. Smokejumpers were recruited to fight the fire, but were eventually removed due to high risk from the fire and the steep terrain, therefore the fire was monitored by air, with infra-red detecting flights reporting the fire being at by August 31. Fire managers expressed concern about the growth of the fire moving out of the wilderness and towards populated recreation areas. Therefore, firefighters began fire protection on structures in Elk Lake, including the Elk Lake Resort, 40 residences, and the historic Forest Service Elk Lake Guard Station. Air quality had declined rapidly for the region, being declared "unhealthy" by authorities. By September 2, trail closures began in the forests. The Separation Fire merged with the Nash Fire when crossing Separation Creek. By September 9, the fire had slowed thanks to cool weather. It had burned to the edge of Nash Lake, about four miles from Elk Lake. Crews continued working to remove fuels, creating a fuel break, along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. In addition to helping protect structures at Elk and Lava Lakes, crews also began protecting the Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort. As of December 16, the fire had burned .

Closures and evacuations

As of September 2, trail closures were in place for Wickiup Plains, South Sister/Devil's Lake, Sisters Mirror Lake, Elk Lake, Crater Ditch, Broken top and PCT from Irish and Taylor Lake north to Olallie Lake.

References

External links

* {{Oregon wildfires 2017 Oregon wildfires August 2017 in the United States Deschutes National Forest September 2017 in the United States Willamette National Forest