BLUE RIVER — The woods around the popular Terwilliger Hot Springs are a mix of blackened dead trees and still-green survivors.



U.S. Forest Service officials visited the natural soaking pools, also known as Cougar Hot Springs, Saturday to address trees burned by the Terwilliger Fire, said Jennifer Velez, a spokeswoman with the Willamette National Forest. The blaze began on Aug. 19 about an eighth of a mile from the hot springs — a clothing-optional recreation site — and burned over the pools.

> Terwilliger Hot Springs likely closed until late next year due to wildfire east of Springfield



A team with the McKenzie River Ranger District went to the hot springs, about 50 miles east of Springfield, according to the national forest. It found Saturday that the fire burned with varying levels of severity around the pools. The crew cut down about five trees that posed a danger of falling and further damaging the springs or surrounding rock work. More potentially hazardous trees line the nearly half mile trail leading from Aufderheide Drive, also know as Forest Road 19, to Terwilliger Hot Springs. The trail is the Rider Creek Trail, no. 3319.



The Terwilliger Fire has burned 11,082 acres — more than 17 square miles — as of Sunday and was 75 percent contained. Cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

> Springfield man says he and son had to flee forest fire near Terwilliger Hot Springs

About 20 hot springs visitors had to sprint to safety the day the fire began, Springfield resident Robert Noble told The Register-Guard. He was relaxing in one of the pools with his 10-year-old son when another hot springs visitor raised the alarm about the encroaching fire.



Running along the quarter-mile trail to their pickup, Noble and his son passed by flames and through smoke.



"It was like a scene from a movie or something," he said.

Follow Dylan Darling on Twitter @DylanJDarling. Email dylan.darling@registerguard.com.