Looks like the Rooster Rock fire (NW of Bend) just blew up.

[DemoTex]

At 3 PM the Rooster Rock fire was 70 acres. At 4 PM it was 90 acres. At 6 PM it was 1000 acres. Like my battalion commander said, when I encountered him running to his rig with his fire boots in his hand at about 4:30 PM, "It's growing exponentially!"

By the time I took these pics, the pyrocumulus was at about 25,000 feet. I'd guess the fire is 5000 acres now and growing.


Looking down Minnesota Street in Bend from in front of the Oxford Hotel


I could see the pyrocumulus building over the Rooster Rock fire, indicating a possible blowup.


Some of the staff of the Oxford Hotel (right) came out for a look-see when they saw me with my big lens.



Bend residents are nervous about the drift smoke. Few I've talked to realize that the towering cloud to the NW is smoke.


The view over Aubrey Butte from the top deck of the parking lot behind the Oxford Hotel.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. You and Nick stay safe

and chances are... you won't be getting back to the OP for a little while... depends of where the damn fire is going and how far it's spreading

Give Nick a scratch.

Oh and take care, goes double to the smoke eaters.

[DemoTex]

4. The fire is in the NW of the district, my lookout is extreme SE.

Nick got a bath and haircut today. Thank goodness! So did I, for that matter. In that order.

Some of our initial attack crews are on the fire, but I hear they are pulling in Type-2 crews from all over (Hot-Shots, SJs).

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. That is fierce... wow!

Still stay safe.

[gateley]

2. Wow! Thanks for the eyewitness report!! nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear DemoTex!

Nothing like having your expert eyes giving us a front-line report!

Please stay safe, you and Nick.

These are incredible pics!

:hug:

[DemoTex]

6. This is a SoCal-like fire.

Maybe we now send drift smoke south to you for a change. OK?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. No, not OK, dammit!

If it comes this way, so be it...

NO blowing, ya hear me???

We have our own fires, for crying out loud!

:hi:

:rofl:

[DemoTex]

11. Bwaa haa haa haa!

I dig!

[pinboy3niner]

17. We've had our fill, thanks anyway

After you asked, I looked for the origin of the name for the Crown fire, but nothing I saw explained it. My brother made a good guess--it might have derived from Crown Valley Road in Acton. The fire burned 14,000 acres and was expected to be contained this evening. There were about 1,700 firefighters on it until yesterday, when more than 500 were released.

Hope they're able to get enough resources to the Rooster Rock fire quickly. It sounds like it'll be a huge job if it's spreading that fast.

Enjoy your "weekend," and don't let the hotel staff spoil Nick TOO much (they know you're a guest, too--right? lol). Take care, DT...

[DemoTex]

20. Thanks PB39

Named-fire names are usually geographic descriptions. The most famous (infamous) was the disaterous South Canyon Fire in Colorado (July 3, 1994). The fire was not in the south canyon, it was on Storm King Mountain. That litte misnomer added another link to the error chain that cost the lives of 14 firefighters.

[Hawkeye-X]

23. And the Hayman fire here in Colorado - largest in recorded history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayman_Fire

I was up in Boulder, CO when it happened, and the sky turned orange and the smell was ashy for a week or so.

[stevedeshazer]

5. Wow! That's incredible.

That's a different Rooster Rock than the one I know:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooster_Rock_State_Park

[DemoTex]

10. Thanks for the link, Steve.

I'd been too busy to Google it. I'm not sure how close to Rooster Rock the fire is. By tomorrow I'll have the LAT/LON and the original and current size-up.

I'm in Bend on my weekend (Monday & Tuesday), but I should be able to get info from the Bend compound and my relief at the lookout. I could listen to the local radio station AM-1110, but it is way to Foxed-up and Ru$hed-up for me.

[Suich]

16. I thought the same thing!

When I used to go to (your) Rooster Rock, it wasn't a state park yet!

:)

[gratuitous]

24. That's the first Rooster Rock I thought of

Not that I would stray over to that other side of the park, unless my Frisbee caught an errant wind pattern. Or something.

[Suich]

7. Read a bit about it on some Google links.

Hope they get a handle on it soon...they could sure do without the wind!

:hi:

[Ex Lurker]

12. hope you don't mind a threadjack...

how does one go about getting a job like yours? TIA

[DemoTex]

13. Monitor the FFLA site for job openings

http://www.firelookout.org/LookoutJobs.htm

[Ex Lurker]

14. Thanks! n/t

[Hekate]

15. Amazing stuff. During our Zaca Fire was the first time I ever heard the term "pyrocumulus"

We had hot blue cloudless skies -- except that hanging over the other side of the Santa Ynez Mountains and coming from the back country of the forest was this immense white cloud formation, God knows how high.

Take care.

Hekate

[Desertrose]

18. Looks like when the San Fran Peaks blew up last month during the

Schultz Fire...really scary. Now its a matter of mudslides.*sigh*


Stay safe Demo Tex! Thanks for the awesome pics!!

Here's a great site to keep up with fires all over the US. www.wildlandfire.com/hotlist/index.php


This is a link to the Rooster Rock fire. www.wildlandfire.com/hotlist/showthread.php?t=15096

[DemoTex]

19. Thanks for the links, DR

The Shultz Fire was a real bastard. I followed that one (as I do most!).

[opihimoimoi]

21. KnR :o) Love them Photos.....

[LWolf]

22. Yesterday I realized a fire was burning when

the sunlight took on that strange orange glow it gets reflecting off of smoke plumes. I'd come in about noon to stay cool. When the light turned orange, I looked out, and sure enough I could see the cloud of smoke rising behind Cline Butte.

This morning I took my horse out for a ride; a short ride, since it was so smoky, but she's supposed to be exercising and building muscle around a soft-tissue injury from last fall. I couldn't see the butte at all. It's less than 2 miles from my house.

We'll see how it shapes up this afternoon.

[classof56]

25. Yes, that was about the same time I figured a fire must be going on yesterday

The smoke's been pretty well settled in all day (I'm in Redmond area). I'm about to go check KTVZ news (only local thing going now) to get an update, then back to Keith!

I hate these fires! Still recall the B&B and the devastation it caused always makes trips over the Santiam a sad and depressing experience.

[LWolf]

26. I'm not far from you.

I think I remember that you are in Tumalo? You posted something to that some years back, when I was still house hunting.

I'm on the outskirts of Redmond, myself.

The smoke doesn't seem quite as bad this evening as it was this morning; I'm hoping that means good news.

:hi:

[pa28]

27. Comforting to know some fellow DU'ers are in the neighborhood.

:hi:

[LWolf]

28. I'm seeing less smoke this morning.

I hope more of the fire is contained, and that things are okay your way.

:hi:

[classof56]

29. Hi back!

Well, I see the fire is up to over 5000 acres this morning, 30 percent controlled. That was on the KTVZ website.

I live on Redmond's west side with an awesome view of Cline Butte and the Cascades when they're visible. I recall you're a teacher at a local middle school? Hope you're enjoying your summer!

:hi:

[LWolf]

32. That's me.

I'm in Redmond west of the river, and have a view of the butte. I COULD have a small view of the Cascades if my place were two story, I think. I can see them when I ride my horse south of the butte.

Enjoying the summer, yes, but it's almost over, and I've only gotten a small fraction of my planned projects and chores done. If it's not too smoky out there, I'm on my way out to ride.

:hi:

[classof56]

35. Hi again

Another day another smoky horizon to the west. I can see a hazy Cline Butte but none of the peaks. The fire has grown to 6130 acres (last report from KTVZ website) but is 40% contained, some good news. A bit of a respite from the downer posts on DU. If you ever hear a really-really loud scream of despair and frustration, look east. Just might be me, reading the latest from Democratic Underground. :mad: Truth is, though, I couldn't do without 'em!

Enjoy your weekend!

[LWolf]

36. I didn't ride today; it was smoky enough

that I didn't think vigorous outdoor exercise was a good idea.

I'm supposed to be taking my grandson for a hike tomorrow; any guesses what direction we could go to escape smoke? Most of the places I was thinking of are probably not the best...the Metolius, Todd Lake or Sparks Lake, or perhaps Paulina up by my mom.

I guess we'll probably spend the day indoors.

[stubtoe]

30. Is that burning in rangeland, or in forest?

I haven't been able to find a decent fire map of the area.

[DemoTex]

33. From inciweb.org

"Fuels: 6 Timber (grass and understory ) Second growth ponderosa pine, manzanita, and slash."

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2056/


Inciweb's lat/lon for the fire's origin (small green/red square in T15S R10E bottom-center of Section 31)

[stubtoe]

34. Thanks! There are some folks I know living near the area.

[david13]

31. They have the same thing here every year. Nationwide, I guess.

And probably have for thousands or more years.
dc