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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services ODFW director Elicker will step down Mail Tribune 100 City approves Sky Park Medford council considers pot tax Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Lint build-up likely caused Talent dryer fire American Auto shop damaged by morning fire UPDATED: Medford school bus in crash; no students hurt, officials say A boon to business Politics and Elections Talent to consider taxing recreational, but not medicinal marijuana Candidate files false statements Just one seat will be contested for Central Point council Gold Hill mayor faces challenger; other races have one candidate each Medford proposes new rules for pawn shops to help nab thieves Education UPDATED: Medford school bus in crash; no students hurt, officials say Free TED talk simulcast in Ashland Bear spotted near Central Point school Eagle Point helps students with first-day jitters Back-to-school shopping can add up Environment ODFW director Elicker will step down Medford hunter's exotic collection goes on sale Elusive owls get new home in Cascades Judge won't block release of water Ashland marchers won't give up on climate change message State news Nation - World Obituaries David Allen Riant Dr. Stephen Edward Drabik Martha M. 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NW Raw Kelly's Crepes Basil & Berries Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Talent to consider taxing recreational, but not medicinal marijuana ... American Auto shop damaged by morning fire ... 10 things to know for Thursday ... Talent to consider taxing recreational, but not medicinal marijuana ... American Auto shop damaged by morning fire ... 10 things to know for Thursday ... WILDFIRES A boon to business Prospect bustling because of 790 fire Although most of the roughly 700 firefighters working to snuff out the 790 fire burning southeast of Prospect in the Sky Lakes Wilderness are camping between work shifts in the hard-to-reach forest area, their presence is still a boon for local business. By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 3, 2014 @ 6:14 pm Updated Sep 3, 2014 at 6:15 PM An Erickson aircrane dips into a heli-well while fighting the 790 fire near Prospect on Tuesday. Mail Tribune Video / Jamie Lusch By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 3, 2014 @ 6:14 pm Updated Sep 3, 2014 at 6:15 PM » Social News Although most of the roughly 700 firefighters working to snuff out the 790 fire burning southeast of Prospect in the Sky Lakes Wilderness are camping between work shifts in the hard-to-reach forest area, their presence is still a boon for local business. The Prospect Store has been pumping gas and selling snacks at the year's best rate the past few weeks, said store owner Doreen Orner. "We've had to open an hour earlier to accommodate the firefighters ... so they can get gas or their goodies," she said. "(Tuesday) morning, they were all lined up needing gas. We did almost $300 in the first hour." The crews also like Coca-Cola, said Orner, who has owned the store for five years. "They buy large amounts of soda pop and take it with them ... we had to order more Coke (Tuesday) because we were running out," she said. Although business has picked up over the last month, mostly thanks to firefighter traffic between camps or home and a series of small fires burning on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest surrounding Prospect, Orner said she doesn't like to see wildfires in her neck of the woods. The 790 fire, burning 10 miles southeast of Prospect near Shale Butte, has grown to about 2,300 acres and was 27 percent contained Wednesday, fire officials said. Firefighters have had some success corralling the blaze between rocky outcroppings, wilderness lakes and hand line, said Howard Hunter, a public information officer assigned to the fire. "They really would like to hold it where it is ... we really don't want to burn any more of the wilderness than we have to, but we want to impact it as little as possible," Hunter said. "We build the smallest hand trail that will work." About 440 firefighters are living near the fire's perimeter in bare-minimum "spike" camps in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, Hunter said. Mules, helicopters and firefighters on foot are being used to deliver supplies to the campsites. On Tuesday, 10 helicopters were being used to drop water on the flames, which has been effective at slowing fire growth, Hunter said. Mobile pump-tank combination modules were also flown into the wilderness area and received refills via helicopter to reduce the amount of water pulled from lakes already taxed by this summer's drought. Outside of the wilderness boundary, two large heli-well tanks that the helicopters are dipping from are being filled with hoses pulling water from the South Fork of the Rogue River at a rate of about 4,000 gallons every eight minutes, Hunter said. Thursday through Saturday, skimmer air tanker planes were using Lost Creek Lake to scoop up water before unloading over the fire. Without landing, the planes skim over the surface of a body of water to fill their holding tanks before pulling up and flying away. The upper portion of the lake experienced a partial closure while the planes were active, said Kevin Baker, harbor master at Lost Creek Lake and Marina, but that didn't affect swarms of recreators who flocked to the area during Labor Day weekend. "We didn't have any drop in business, we rented everything out," Baker said. "Those planes were cool... once they scooped their water they climbed over the entire lake. It was really cool to watch." Plenty of lake visitors had a good time watching the planes, too, Baker said. On Wednesday, crews were mopping up the east flank of the fire while building direct line on the south and north flanks with flames slowly advancing to the west, fire officials said. Fire activity is expected to decrease by the weekend, and an estimated containment date has been set for Sept. 15, fire officials said. The fire was started by lightning July 31. Because of firefighting activity, the Pacific Crest Trail remains closed from Crater Lake National Park's southern boundary south to Highway 140. Several additional trails in the Sky Lakes Wilderness close to the flames are also closed. Daily information on the closures can be seen online at www.pcta.org . Reach reporter Sam Wheeler at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/swhlr.   By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 3, 2014 @ 6:14 pm Updated Sep 3, 2014 at 6:15 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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