Wednesday, August 30, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 27 HOWELLS REALTY GROUP MILLI FIRE: Area burned in variety of intensity levels Continued from page 1 lasting from Wednesday after- noon, August 16 through Friday, August 18, when the fire forced several residential areas to evacuate. Along the west side of Pole Creek Road (Forest Road 15), there was substantial scorched earth, partly from burnout operations that tried to stop the storming advance of the main blaze. “I see a lot of mortality and a lot of scorching all the way to the tops of trees,” Reed said, surveying the west side of the roadway. Such hard-hit areas will likely be replanted. Hazardous snags along roadways will be felled. While the Forest Service will likely attempt to plan for salvage logging, such plans are often held up in liti- gation until the trees lose their value. Most of the dead trees will eventually fall. On the east side of the roadway, in an area that had been treated with prescribed fire, the fire burned with much lower intensity when it jumped the road, burning PEAK PROPERTIES team Black Butte Ranch, Sisters Area and Central Oregon Phil Arends realestateinsisters.com 541-420-9997 220 S. Ash St., Sisters phil@blackbutte.com PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS Some areas were very hard hit. along the surface, consuming pine needles and underbrush, but leaving most trees only lightly scorched. Such fire is actually beneficial to the forest. What creates high-intensity fire with high levels of mortal- ity “just depends on a lot of environmental factors,” Reed explained. Fuel load is one of them. If trees are close together, a fire- storm can race quickly from tree to tree. And weather con- ditions — hot, dry and windy — were primed for the fire to make a run on those mid- August days. “It came around Trout Creek Butte,” Reed said. “It came through here as a crown fire (up in the crowns of trees, moving tree to tree) with a PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS The Milli Fire burned some swaths of terrain severely, while others were lightly touched or left intact. CUSTOM HOMES • RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PROJECTS John P. Pierce 541-549-9764 CCB# 159020 CCB# 16891 Becke W. P ierce Arne J. P ierce General Contracting LLC 541-647-0384 General Contracting LLC 541-668-0883 CCB# 190689 CCB# 208020 Serving the Sisters Area Since 1976 Strictly Quality lot of steam behind it. It was really hot on the south side of the butte.” The fire wasn’t like that everywhere. Viewed from the Whychus Overlook off Road 16 (Three Creek Road), an observer can see where fin- gers of fire reached out to the east. Some strips of terrain are heavily burned; others are relatively untouched. Along Road 16 are swaths of dull red, where retardant was dropped to try to give firefighters on the ground time to build lines to stop the fire’s advance. L u c k i l y, t h e f i r e approached Whychus Creek Canyon late in the day on Friday, August 18, as tempera- tures cooled and winds started to die down. The fire reached tendrils into the canyon, but burning there was minimal, and subsequently firefighters were able to head off the fire from further travel toward the east. It was a near-run thing. “We were saved by the time of day,” Reed said. “That’s it.” That’s good news to people who hike the Whychus Trail or enjoy looking down on the creek from the overlook. They will look out on a landscape marked by nearly 20 years of big fires — but one that is far from being destroyed. Dick Howells 541-408-6818 rahowells@blackbutte.com — BLACK BUTTE RANCH— Make this your family retreat at Black Butte Ranch. There are 4 bedrooms (2 masters), 3.5 baths, great- room, family room, woodstove to keep you warm, and large decks to enjoy the privacy that is yours since this property adjoins public lands. Walk or bike to the Glaze Meadow recreation complex. $595,000. MLS#201704512 Just a short walk or bike to the Glaze Rec center, bordering a beautiful aspen grove and common area, this home fea- tures an updated kitchen open to the greatroom, fl oor-to-ceiling brick fi replace with insert, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, huge fam- ily/media room. Incredible value $725,000. MLS#201706015 Opportunity is knocking! Executive-level home at Black Butte Ranch. Home features 3 master suites, offi ce/den, greatroom, family room, formal dining room, large kitchen with dining area, 2 wood-burning fi replaces, large utility, 3-car garage. Huge deck with hot tub, bordering forest land. Priced well below current market pricing.$799,750. MLS#201703591 Beautiful home on GM golf course. Open fl oor plan and remodeled. 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths,chefs kitchen with granite countertops, greatroom, living room,offi ce/den,dining room, hot tub. Updates include fresh int./ext. paint, refi nished hard- wood fl oors, re-stained decks, new garage door and opener, heat pump,water heater and drive- way resurfacing. $1,275,000. MLS#201601177 Tucked away in a very quiet section of Black Butte Ranch, is this 4,130 sq. ft. completely remodeled home. Five bedrooms (3 master suites),4 baths, great room, family room, 4 fi replaces, gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances and granite counter- tops, whole-house music system, central vac, and so much more. $1,445,000. MLS#201705727 — SISTERS — Wonderful home in Squaw Creek Canyon Estates. On a corner lot, this home has it all: almost 1 acre, fully fenced, landscaped and irrigation, huge greenhouse, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, living room, family room, dining, riverrock fi replace with insert, pellet stove, heat pump, wrap-around covered porch. Large 2-car garage with shop area. $460,000. MLS#201704257 Fantastic property in the heart of Sisters! Corner lot, Craftsman home, features include 3 bedrooms (master w/ ensuite), 3 baths, large kitchen with granite counters and SS appliances, open to greatroom, propane fi replace, hardwood fl oors, offi ce/media room, utility and so much more. $535,000. MLS#201708692 Quality Craftsman home in ponderosa forest; only steps from town and trail system. Main level: Entertainers de- light: kitchen/dining open to washed rock patio and private backyard for indoor/outdoor living; master bedroom/spa in bath. Upstairs: sunny living area with second fi replace and room to ramble. $639,000. MLS#201700915