Fire
scorches acre of Wizard Island
Mail Tribune
Medford, Oregon
July 23, 1997
By DOUG IRVING
Firefighters on Tuesday mopped up a fire that burned about an
acre of Wizard Island in Crater Lake National Park.
The fire started late Monday morning and smoldered through
Tuesday afternoon. It blackened manzanita brush, grass and four
trees in steep terrain on the 600-acre island.
Fire investigators believe the fire could have been caused by a
cigarette, park management assistant John Miele said. The fire
started next to a trail and was man-caused, he explained.
Smoking is prohibited on Wizard Island.
"A
person shouldn't have been smoking on the island in the first
place," Miele said. "It's too hot and dry."
Boat tours of the lake continued on schedule during the fire,
but the island was off-limits to tourists Monday and Tuesday.
The boat tours had resumed Saturday, after being suspended for
almost a week because of an eight-gallon gasoline spill July 13
at Cleetwood Cove.
Crater Lake Lodge guests saw a plume of smoke rising from the
island Monday, said Sabrina Farrens at the lodge's front desk.
But she said no evidence of fire was visible by Tuesday
afternoon.
"Yesterday, when it was happening, (guests) were pretty
concerned," she said. "Today it's died down. Not a lot of people
are aware of it today."
Five firefighters boated to the island around 11:30 Monday
morning, said incident commander Chris Chiverton. They dug
containment lines around the fire with hand tools and used
bladder bags - backpacks filled with water - to keep the fire
under control.
The firefighters camped overnight on the island and were joined
Tuesday morning by six more firefighters. They spent Tuesday
walking the area, shoveling dirt onto the cinders and breaking
up burning logs.
"It's just grubbing, grubbing, grubbing," Buckingham said. "It's
hot and dirty and unexciting. It's not even as much fun as
gardening."
The only structures on the island are a group of boat houses on
the opposite side, Miele said. The fire never threatened them.
The island fire was the second in the park in as many days. A
small blaze Sunday burned .17 acres and was linked to an illegal
campfire.
"Both of these fires were man-caused," Miele said. "People that
use parks and campgrounds need to obey the rules."
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