Five men stay behind in the face of a massive wildfire to save a famed Oregon retreat
When a rampant fire invaded Breitenbush Hot Springs restort deep in the Oregon wilderness, five men dug in and fought back.
Five men in a tiny volunteer fire department stayed behind after dozens of guests and staff members were evacuated in the face of a massive wildfire to save Breitenbush, a famed Oregon retreat deep in wilderness east of Salem. They worked in the flaming forest for days, using a firetruck, garden hoses and shovels as three towns in the valley below were leveled by another giant wildfire that merged with the first. The firefighters saved the 1920s lodge, a hydro-generating station and a geothermal heating system — to the extent that it appears possible to rebuild the treasured retreat. Forty-two guest cabins, other buildings and a summer-home community next door were destroyed by the flames.
