Crews worked Wednesday to increase containment on the Bruler Fire 30 miles northeast of Sweet Home, now estimated at 195 acres.
Containment is listed at 12 percent.
According to a U.S. Forest Service report released Wednesday, the increase in acreage from 156 to 195 “is due to the continued backing of the fire on the west flank toward indirect line and more accurate mapping. … The fire remains within the previously established direct and indirect lines.”
The blaze, first detected Monday, July 12, burns near the jurisdiction of Forest Roads 11 (Straight Creek and Quartzville roads) and 1133 approximately 9 miles south of Detroit in the Sweet Home Ranger District.
Air quality around Detroit and Sweet Home continues to be listed as “good,” the U.S. Forest Service reported, and light winds from the southwest keep smoke from this and surrounding fires to the east.
“We are taking advantage of the moderated weather conditions to get as close to direct on the fire lines as possible,” Incident Commander Brian Gales said in a statement.
Large closures remain in effect. These still includes large portions of U.S. Forest Service lands south of Detroit Lake, west of Highway 22 and north of Highway 20, plus the Middle Santiam Wilderness, Daly Lake, Tule Lake and the Old Cascade Crest trail system. A Bureau of Land Management closure area is also in place for areas along Quartzville Scenic Byway and Quartzville Road, including Yellowbottom Campground, Old Miner’s Meadow Group Site and nearby dispersed camping areas.
Visit InciWeb for more information about closures at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7663/. For other updates, please consult the Willamette National Forest’s Bruler Fire Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/brulerfire2021) or the agency’s Twitter account at @WillametteNF.
