7/8/2009 - Cultus Lake
by Matt McDonald
 
In the restaurant at Cultus Lake Resort, a front row seat to a forest fire.
 
"The fire was pretty much straight across from where I'm pointing. It started very quickly," said Sandie Campbell, owner of the resort.
 
She's seen fire before, but this is different, the winds blowing it toward her. The only thing in the way, forest and campgrounds.
 
"He said, 'I'd go pack your stuff up.' And I said, 'like right now?'" said Adrienne Clark. Clark is newly engaged, camping with her finance Ryan. It's a Deschutes County Sheriff's Deputy that tells them they might have to leave in a hurry.
 
"When he said we are evacuating the campsite, we kind of thought it's right next to us," said Clark.
 
The fire is actually across the lake. With the aid of air crews, the evacuation order is canceled before Adrienne and Ryan have to leave. By Wednesday morning, it's back to normal in the campgrounds and restaurant. firefighters have put out the blaze.
 
Though this fire never grew to be bigger than half an acre, one of the unique challenges on this fire is access. The Sheriff's department providing a boat shuttle back and forth for firefighters.
 
Being beside a lake has it's advantages, crews pump water to put out hot spots on a fire they say should never have started.
 
"It's a human caused fire," said firefighter Peter Enna.
 
Left behind, half an acre of burned logs and brush on the north side of the lake. On the other side of the lake, it's a reminder of what could happen.
 
"Fire is the one thing that we fear the most," said Campbell.