PRINEVILLE, OR -- More lightning Sunday night led to over two-dozen new fire starts in Central Oregon Monday, many on the Ochoco National Forest.
The Durgan Fire is burning eight miles northeast of Paulina. It quickly grew Monday to around 3,000 acres. There are also smaller incidents, like the 500-acre Crazy Creek Fire and the 11-acre Pulley Creek Fire. All are 0% contained.
North of Burns, the Falls Fire grew after the lightning storm. It’s now almost 140,000 acres and has destroyed more than a dozen homes.
Bend Fire & Rescue responded to a tree and brush fire Monday afternoon on Skyline Ranch Road (pictured), believed to have been sparked by Sunday's lightning. It likely smoldered in a tree overnight, before winds increased Monday afternoon. A neighbor spotted the tree on fire in the middle of a grass field at about 4 p.m. and called 911. It spread quickly but fire crews stopped it at about an acre.
Another smoldering fire was extinguished earlier in the day, near Caldera High School. That blaze was held at about 100 square feet; its cause is unknown.



