On August 21st the Flat Fire began burning in Central Oregon, growing rapidly and burning along Whychus Creek towards the town of Sisters. Since the wildfire has impacted Land Trust Preserves, we wanted to share an update on what the Land Trust is doing to support firefighting efforts, the local community, and fire recovery:

• First and foremost, our thoughts and hearts go out to all of our neighbors and friends that are under evacuation notices. We hope that you are safe and that impacts to your homes and properties have been minimal. If there are ways that we can help get you access to information or resources, please let us know. You can help those folks impacted by the fire by donating to the Red Cross.
• Second, Land Trust staff have been attending fire briefings and coordinating with incident managers to provide assistance and better understand fire impacts. We partnered with fire managers early on, providing Rimrock Ranch as a staging location for equipment to fight the fire. We continue to offer assistance and attend daily briefings. Please help firefighters and other first responders by respecting all fire closures.
• While we do not know the full impacts of the fire, we do know that the fire burned several Land Trust Preserves including Aspen Hollow Preserve, Rimrock Ranch, and Whychus Canyon Preserve.
• Aspen Hollow Preserve: Initial reports indicate that a small portion on the southern side of the Preserve burned. It looks like the fire turned south here, however, and missed the main part of the Preserve.
• Rimrock Ranch: significant portions of Rimrock Ranch burned. Luckily, people were safely evacuated and several of the structures were saved thanks to the valiant efforts of firefighters. While initial reports show extensive impacts, it also appears that much of the recently restored Whychus Creek floodplain remains green and intact.
• Whychus Canyon Preserve: significant portions of the Preserve burned. Initial reports suggest that the burn was patchy, with some places burning hotter than others. The unrestored portion of Whychus Creek in the canyon appears to have burned hot. We have yet to get reports on the northernmost section of the Preserve where we restored Whychus Creek in 2016. Trailhead impacts have been moderate so far, and we were pleased to hear our trailhead kiosk survived! Given the fire, Whychus Canyon Preserve is currently closed to all use.

As we move into the coming weeks and months, we will know more about impacts to the Preserves and the post-burn recovery we will face. As we’ve said before, fire is a natural and important part of the juniper-sagebrush desert system, and we are dedicated to helping our protected lands thrive into the future. Please remember, the Flat Fire remains an active incident. For the safety of firefighters and first responders, please respect all closures.

We are so appreciative of all the firefighters who have worked tirelessly since this fire began to save homes and structures!! If you would like to support fire recovery, please consider donating to the Red Cross for residents impacted by the fire. You can also donate to the Land Trust in support of recovery efforts at our Preserves.

Learn more: 

• Watch Duty: Flat Fire
• Central Oregon Fire
• Official Flat Fire Facebook page
• Flat Fire Closes Land Trust Preserves
• Caring for the Land in Wildfire Country
• Oregon Living with Fire wildfire mitigation grants for homeowners