One small town that appeared to be directly in the path of the destructive Santiam Fire has survived largely intact.
It’s a rare bit of hopeful news during a week of devastation across large parts of Oregon and the West.
Mill City Mayor Tim Kirsch evacuated his town in the middle of the night Monday, fleeing as the fire burned on both sides of Highway 22 and embers tossed by violent winds sparked fires in the fields surrounding town.
He was back Tuesday, working with the city’s public works director to keep water in the town’s reservoirs available for the tanker trucks that continue to fight the Santiam Fire.
He found a surreal scene. The sky was black, like midnight on a moonless night, with dense smoke and ash in the air. But much of the town remained.
“Our volunteer fire department has done a tremendous job,” he said.
Kirsch estimates about 90% of the homes in Mill City have survived. And while parts of the town still smolder, the fire is no longer actively burning there.
