Crews are making progress on a small wildfire in eastern Lane County. The Piper Lake Fire, which was first reported on Monday, is 13 acres and is 30% contained as of Wednesday morning.
The Willamette National Forest said the fire is located approximately three miles northeast of Skookum Creek Campground in the Three Sisters Wilderness. There are no evacuations in place, though officials urged people to avoid areas where firefighters are working. Smoke may be visible from nearby communities, although the fire itself is not located near any populated areas.
It comes as the Oregon Cascades are under a Red Flag Warning due to the potential for thunderstorms and gusty winds. The warning is in place for eastern Lane, Linn and Douglas Counties until 11 p.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service said thunderstorms could produce "abundant lightning on dry fuels."
For Deschutes County, a Red Flag Warning is in effect until 11 p.m. Thursday. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are predicted. While some could include locally heavy rainfall, the National Weather Service said some storms could produce lightning but no rain.
"Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly," the agency said.
