The B&B Complex fires were a linked pair of wildfires that together burned of Oregon forest during the summer of 2003. The fire complex began as two separate fires, the Bear Butte Fire and the Booth Fire. The two fires were reported on the same day and eventually burned together, forming a single fire area that stretched along the crest of the Cascade Mountains between Mount Jefferson and Mount Washington. On the western side of the Cascades, the fire consumed mostly Douglas-fir and western hemlock. On the eastern side of the mountains, the fire burned mostly Ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and jack pine. Most of the burned area was on public land administered by the United States Forest Service including within the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. The fire also burned forest land on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and small areas of state and private land. Firefighters battled the blaze for 34 days. At the peak of the firefighting effort, there were over 2,300 personnel working on the fire. Although the cost of fire suppression was over $38 million, there were no deaths and no homes burned as the fire was largely in wilderness areas.
Origin The weather in the central Cascade Mountains in the area where the B&B Complex Fires occurred is highly seasonal and heavily influenced by local topography. In early August 2003, a series of thunderstorms passed over the central Cascades. Lightning strikes were recorded on 4, 5, 6, and 7 August. Over the next several weeks, a number of fires resulted from this lightning activity."Weather", B&B Complex, Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project, www.orww.org, Philomath, Oregon, 2004.
Following the storms in early August, local temperatures in central Oregon ranged from 80 to 90 degrees with relative humidity dropping below 20 percent. During this period, winds were to , peaking on 19 August at approximately . This combination of hot dry weather and high winds created extreme fire conditions. As a result, creeping fires ignited by the early August lightning storms began to burn more actively. On 15 August a small fire was reported on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. On 18 August, two more small fires were reported south of Santiam Pass near Hoodoo Ski Area. All three fires were quickly contained.
The B&B Complex Fires occurred in August and September 2003 in the central Cascades, west of Sisters, Oregon. The fire complex began as two separate wildfires; both were caused by lightning striking in early August. The Bear Butte Fire started at the north end of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness area (), approximately northwest of Sisters. It was reported by a helicopter crew from Warm Springs on 19 August at 1309 PDT. The Booth Fire started near Henkel Butte (), about west of Sisters. It was reported by the Henkel Butte Lookout the same day at 1523 PDT. The next day, the fire suppression efforts on these two fires were consolidated because of their size and proximity, creating the B&B Complex Fires."B & B Complex Fire", Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, United States Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Bend, Oregon, 11 July 2005."Fire Briefs 08/22/03 to 08/20/03" , Historical / Archived Website, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group, Portland, Oregon, 30 April 2006."B&B Complex Forest and Fire History", Oregon Websites and Watersheds Project, Philomath, Oregon, 4 January 2011.
Chronology
On August 19, 2003, two fires were reported in the central Cascades about apart. The Bear Butte Fire was reported in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Heavy winds prevented smoke jumpers from reaching the fire; however, a helicopter dropped water on it throughout the day. By the end of the day, the fire had burned approximately at the north end of the wilderness area and on the southwest side of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. The Booth Fire was reported near Henkel Butte. During the day, Forest Service crews battled the blaze with hand tools, pumper trucks, and bulldozers. Aerial tankers also dropped retardant on the fire. Due to heavy smoke, U.S. Route 20 was closed between Santiam Pass and the Black Butte Ranch. By the end of the day, the fire had consumed , and it was still actively burning north of Route 20. Because the two fires were burning out of control, the Forest Service requested a National Type I Incident Management Team be dispatched to take charge of the fire suppression effort."Booth and Bear Butte Fire Updates", Local Area News Release, Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Prineville, Oregon, 19 August 2003/2230 PDT. A burn-out operation planned during the night of 19–20 August was cancelled due to high winds. During the night, the Booth Fire jumped Route 20 and began burning on both sides of the highway near Suttle Lake and Blue Lake. As a result, the highway remained closed. The fire also crossed the Pacific Crest Trail heading west. In the early afternoon of August 20, the two fires were joined into a single firefighting effort, becoming the B&B Complex Fires. During the day, the Governor of Oregon invoked the Conflagration Act allowing structural firefighters to be dispatched to Black Butte Ranch, Suttle Lake Camp Ground, Suttle Lake Resort, Camp Tamarack, Blue Lake properties, Santiam Pass Ski Lodge, and Hoodoo Ski Area. These areas were all evacuated except Black Butte Ranch. A Red Cross evacuation shelter was established at the Sisters Elementary School. By the end of the day, the Bear Butte portion of the fire had increased to over and the Booth Fire area had grown to ."Booth and Bear Butte Fire Updates", Local Area News Release, Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Prineville, Oregon, 20 August 2003/0830 PDT."Booth and Bear Butte Fire Update -- "B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Prineville, Oregon, 20 August 2003/1500 PDT."Booth and Bear Butte Fire Update -- B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Prineville, Oregon, 20 August 2003/2200 PDT.
On the morning of August 21 at 0600 PDT, the national interagency Incident Management Team officially took charge of the B&B Complex fire operation. By that time, over 1,000 people had been evacuated from the fire area. During the day, Black Butte Ranch was given a precautionary evacuation advisory while the residents of Camp Sherman, Oregon were ordered to evacuate. Approximately 300 people were evacuated from the Camp Sherman area. By the end of the day, there were 862 firefighters working on the fire. This included 24 handcrews, 21 pumper trucks, 2 bulldozers, and 4 helicopters plus 150 management and support personnel. In addition, both President George W. Bush and Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski visited the fire area on 21 August."B and B Complex Morning Brief", Local Area News Release, Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Prineville, Oregon, 21 August 2003/1030 PDT."Camp Sherman Evacuation Notice", Local Area News Release, Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Prineville, Oregon, 21 August 2003/1245 PDT."B&B Complex Evening Update", Local Area News Release, Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center, Prineville, Oregon, 21 August 2003/2215 PDT. At the beginning of August 22, the size of the B&B Complex Fires was estimated at . It was burning actively in heavy timber and spreading in multiple directions. The fire area included forest on both sides of the Cascade Mountains, primarily Deschutes National Forest land on the east side of the mountains and Willamette National Forest on the west side. During the day, firefighters concentrated on the fire's eastern and southeastern perimeter because there were structures and communities at risk in those areas."B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Sisters, Oregon, 22 August 2003/1000 PDT. It was announced that Oregon National Guard personnel and equipment were being deployed to the fire. The National Guard assets include three helicopters."B and B Complex Gets Help From the National Guard", Local Area News Release, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Sisters, Oregon, 22 August 2003/1430 PDT. During the day, several cabins, an auditorium, and a shower house were destroyed at the Round Lake Christian Camp. Fire crews successfully protected structures at Hoodoo Ski Area and around Suttle Lake as well as Santiam Lodge. By the end of the day, the fire was from Camp Sherman and from Black Butte Ranch."B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Sisters, Oregon, 22 August 2003/1900 PDT. On August 23, scattered showers and lower temperatures increased relative humidity. This allowed firefighters to utilize existing forest roads to conduct burn-out operations along the eastern and southeastern perimeter of the fire. Firefighters also performed mop-up operations and patrolled along established fire lines; however, Route 20 remained closed."B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Sisters, Oregon, 23 August 2003/1000 PDT.
By August 24, there were 1,422 personnel fighting the fire. This included 32 fire crews, 78 pumper trucks, and 9 helicopters. The fire continued to spread slowly all day. Firefighters completed the fire line on the south flank of the Booth Fire and continued burn-out operations. Fire crews began to mop-up around structures in the Suttle Lake area. Residents of Camp Sherman were permitted to return to their homes for several hours to pick up personal belongings. By the end of the day, the size of the B&B Complex Fires was estimated to be ."B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Sisters, Oregon, 24 August 2003/1800 PDT. On August 25, both of the B&B fires burned actively as they passed through areas of heavy fuel. During the day, the size of the fire grew to . The Bear Butte Fire area continued to spread slowly southward while gusty winds spread the fire more rapidly on its northeast front. The Booth Fire area expanded on the north and northeast flanks, igniting islands of unburned fuel. The fire became active on the south flank drawing firefighters back to Hoodoo and Santiam Pass to protect structures in those areas. The fire also expanded its west perimeter, burning into thick timber near Lost Lake. However, firefighters successfully defended existing lines on the southern and eastern perimeters of the fire. By the end of the day, the interagency incident management team estimated that the fire was 20 percent contained."B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Sisters, Oregon, 25 August 2003/0900 PDT."B and B Complex", Local Area News Release, Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 3, Sisters, Oregon, 25 August 2003/1800 PDT.