DETROIT, Ore. — A new wildfire, called the Bruler Fire, is burning south of Detroit in the middle of the Willamette National Forest. According to the U.S. Forest Service, as of Tuesday afternoon, the fire has burned 100 acres and has high potential to spread.
Smoke from the fire was visible from Highway 22, Santiam Pass and the Detroit area which was devastated by wildfires in Sept. 2020. Residents in Detroit are still recovering more than 10 months after the wildfires destroyed much of the town.
Brenda Owens owns a home in Detroit and her husband is helping rebuild the town. Last year, they had to evacuate their home just after midnight as the wildfire spread. Fortunately, their home survived the flames.
Owens talked to neighbors after she saw the plume of smoke on Monday.
"They said 'oh no, not again' and just looked really scared," Owens said. "Yes everybody was a little nervous coming across each other, kind of looking at each other like 'do we leave?' It's just that feeling. It will never go away."
No structures are threatened. The cause of the fire is under investigation.