A wildfire near Bessie Butte southeast of Bend was fully contained as of Wednesday night, but was one of dozens of human-caused fires that have flared up this fire season, according to a Bend Bulletin report.
The fire charred 1.8 acres of land according to Lisa Clark, public information officer for the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center. While it’s known that humans started the fire, the cause is under investigation, she said.
Around 100 human-caused fires have been extinguished by Central Oregon firefighters this year, most of them one acre or less. Around half of the fires were the result of hot embers escaping from campfires, said Clark.
Crews have been traveling to fires this year with social distancing in mind. For firefighters, that means fewer people in each vehicle. Four people are now traveling in an engine instead of the usual six, with the remaining two crew members following in a truck.