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Cougar Hot Springs Natural Area Burned Over By Terwilliger Fire

Fire fighters are on the ground and in the air working to contain the Terwilliger Fire.
Willamette Wildfires
Fire fighters are on the ground and in the air working to contain the Terwilliger Fire.

The Terwilliger Fire in the Willamette National Forest doubled in size. It is now over 3,200 acres and 1% contained. Officials report the fire has burned through a popular recreation site known as Cougar Hot Springs.

The natural springs had only just re-opened after a massive rock slide last December.

Nick Mickel is a fire spokesman. He says it’s been difficult to ascertain the full extent of the damage to Cougar Hot Springs.

Fire fighters are on the ground and in the air working to contain the Terwilliger Fire.
Credit Willamette Wildfires
Fire fighters are on the ground and in the air working to contain the Terwilliger Fire.

“There’s a lot of hazard trees, rolling rocks and debris on the road that we need to clear out of the way. There’s many, many tall trees that have burned through that are now coming down on that road. So until we can make that road secure and then secure the hot springs area itself, nobody can go in there and do a good quality assessment.”

Cougar Hot Springs is located off a trail on the west side of Cougar Reservoir
Credit Cookie Swetland
Cougar Hot Springs is located off a trail on the west side of Cougar Reservoir

In addition to Forest Service Road 19 to the Hot Springs, there are a number of other closures in the area. Mickel says more than 195 fire personnel are working the Terwilliger Fire and additional crews and resources are coming to assist.

Copyright 2018 KLCC

Tiffany Eckert is a reporter for KLCC, the NPR member station in Eugene, Oregon. Her reporting comes to JPR through the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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