UPDATE: As of 7:10 pm Monday (9/3), the Terwilliger Fire 60 miles east of Eugene-Springfield continues to burn in rugged terrain.
720 personnel are working on the fire which is 27 percent contained. Crews are working on steep slopes and dealing with rolling debris, which is setting other fires.
The fire is burning on the east and west sides of Cougar Reservoir off Highway 126.
At a community meeting at McKenzie High School on Saturday night, fire managers presented updates on the fire and answered questions from local residents. Topics included fire activity, emergency preparedness, and air quality.
Residents were told that the eastern front of the fire, burning in the Three Sisters Wilderness, crossed over Sawtooth Ridge, and and slowly progressed northeast towards the east fork of the south fork of the McKenzie River.
Officials said various plans of attack have been implemented, including aerial water drops and continued strengthening of fire lines through back burning and removing snag trees.
Closures and campfire bans will remain in place. With fire activity being high and fire danger at very high for the Willamette National Forest, campfires are banned forest-wide, including at developed sites and in all wilderness areas.
Smoking is banned, unless inside enclosed buildings or vehicles. A temporary flight restriction is in place, which applies to all non-authorized aircraft, including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or drones. Last week a drone grounded aerial operations.
A complete list of road, trail, and campground closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices
The fire was reported on August 19th. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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