Fire crews made good progress on the Akawa Butte fire burning near Sisters over the weekend.
Some evacuation levels have been reduced. The Deschutes County Sheriff has lowered many of the Level 3 - GO NOW evacuations to either Level 2 - BE SET or Level 1 - BE READY.
Steve Chapman of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Red Team said during a Monday morning video update that people heading back to their houses should be prepared for lingering smoke and power outages. He said crews are trying to connect returning residents with information.
“As people start integrating back into their community, we’ve got what we’re calling ‘Operation Eagle Flyer.’ And what it is, we’re handing out these flyers that explain as you go back into your homes, what to do, who to call," he said.
For instance, he said, it's not always necessary to call 911 to report smoke. He said the flyer will help resident understand what could merit a 911 call versus smoke that's already occurring in an area.
Many evacuations are still in place, and part of the city of Sisters remains under a Level 1 — BE READY evacuation notice. But according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, fewer than 400 people in the Sisters area remain under a Level 3 - GO NOW evacuation, a significant reduction from last Wednesday and Thursday,
Warm, dry weather will continue this week, but high winds that fueled the fire late last week have subsided. While weather is trending in a more favorable direction, fire officials say there’s a lot more work remaining before the Akawa Butte Fire is fully contained.
A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Sisters High School Auditorium, with a livestream on the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Facebook page.
The Akawa Butte fire was started by lightning on July 16 and has burned more than 27-thousand acres.
KLCC's Love Cross contributed to this story.
