PRINEVILLE, OR -- A new wildfire spotted Saturday in the Ochocos is sending smoke into Prineville. The Desolation Fire has burned over 150 acres about 20 miles northeast of Prineville.
The fire is burning in patches of dead and live timber on steep slopes just below Whistler Point. Planes are dumping water on the blaze near Desolation Canyon; no firefighters are on the ground yet, due to safety concerns. Fire managers plan to use containment lines prepared during last month's Belknap fire to protect nearby private property and infrastructure.
Cooler weather forecast for this week could bring wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour, and forestry officials worry existing fires will grow.
