More than 100 firefighters battling wildfire at Silver Falls State Park

Zach Urness | Statesman Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Silver Falls State Park fire prompts YMCA camp evacuation A small fire inside Silver Falls State Park has prompted the closure of several backcountry trails and the evacuation of a YMCA summer camp.

A wildfire burning in a remote area of Silver Falls State Park had grown to 12 acres Saturday morning, officials said.

More than 100 firefighting personnel are currently engaged on the fire, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Forestry. The Howard Creek Horse Camp has been closed and is being used as a staging area for firefighting operations.

The park is open today, but officials warned visitors that there would be abundant firefighter equipment and aircraft in the park east of Salem.

“Any visitors who plan to visit the park this weekend are advised to wait until more information is available about the status of this small fire,” the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said in a statement.

The Silver Creek Fire has led to the closure of several backcountry trails and the evacuation of a 142 people YMCA summer camp on Friday.

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As of this morning, none of the waterfall trails are closed. However, officials said those concerned about traveling to the area should call 503-873-8681 if they had questions.

Smoke was first reported late in the evening on Thursday, July 12, officials said.

But because the blaze was burning in such a steep and remote area, it was difficult for firefighters on the ground to locate the flames.

Crews are cut paths through underbrush to where they believed the fire was based on aircraft reports.

Crews dropped water and retardant from the sky through the day Friday.

In the meantime these trails remain closed.

Silver Falls State Park is the largest state park in Oregon at 9,200 acres southeast of Silverton. The park has 35 miles of backcountry trails that are used for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

It is most famous for the Trail of Ten Falls, a 7.2-mile forested trek past 10 waterfalls including a 177-foot cascade where hikers can walk behind the falls.

The park is also an economic booster. A study recently found the 1.4 million visitors annually contributed $58.4 million to the local economy.

This story will be updated throughout the day.