Fire managers said Thursday that the Petes Lake Fire, burning a few miles west of Elk Lake, is smaller than previously thought.
After an overnight infrared flight, the fire was listed at 318 acres in a Thursday morning update. It is zero percent contained.
Hand crews will continue working Thursday on the shaded fuel break along the Cascade Lakes Highway. Resources to support the incident will continue to arrive. The structure protection group will continue to assess structures and develop structure protection plans.
A total of 173 personnel are working on the fire.
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A low-pressure system will move in Thursday with the potential to bring intermittent rain for the next 48-72 hours, fire managers said. But the system also has the potential to generate thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday.
The fire was sparked by lightning last Friday.
Evacuation notices issued Sunday by the Deschutes County Sheriff remain in place:
- Level 3 (Go Now) Evacuation notice is issued for all areas west of the Cascade Lakes Hwy from the Lucky Lake Trailhead north to the Mirror Lake Trail.
- Level 2 – (Be Set) to evacuate at a moment’s notice. There are no level 2 evacuations currently.)
- Level 1 (Be Ready) Pre-Evacuation notice is issued for areas around Elk Lake down to Little Lava Lake. This means “Be Ready” for potential evacuation. Be aware of danger in the area.
