Local, state and federal agencies are preparing for the worst this August, as peak fire season coincides with one of the biggest tourism events Oregon has ever seen.
The 2017 total solar eclipse - an event that won't return to Oregon until 2169 - is coming on Aug. 21, typically a dangerous time for wildfires. With an estimated 1 million people traveling to the 60-mile-wide path of totality, there's a very good chance for a spark, a blaze and a large-scale disaster.
Officials have spent all year planning, running simulations and coming up with worst-case scenarios, honing inter-agency communication to prepare as best they can. Chief among their concerns are campers that either don't know about fire dangers, or don't care about the rules.