Scorched Earth: Time-Lapse Video Shows Rapid Spread Of Eagle Creek Fire

Webmaster, photographer, and filmmaker Oca Hoeflein has for the past three years provided hikers, campers, and climbers on Mt. Adams with high quality, up-to-the-minute photos of the terrain, which he shares on his website whereinthegorge.com. But it was his time-lapse video depicting the dramatic growth of the Eagle Creek Fire near Cascade Locks, Oregon, that's earned him 33,000-plus views since he posted it Tuesday morning.

The images were captured on Hoeflein's Canon 40D DSLR camera between 5 p.m. Sept. 4 and 5 a.m. Sept. 5. Shooting photographs every three minutes, the camera automatically uploads to his whereinthegorge.com site so even now viewers from around the world can get a clear view of current Eagle Creek Fire conditions.

The video is focused on Cascade Locks, the city nearest to the fire, though the camera is setup across the Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington, he said. Hoeflein, 44, lives in Battle Ground, Washington, but runs a real estate magazine that covers 15 communities along the gorge.

Hoeflein heard that people who live in the forested area around Cascade Locks weren't able to keep track of fire's movement, he told Patch on Wednesday. So, to give them a live view of the fire, he picked up his camera from where he normally leaves it near Mt. Adams and took it to Stevenson Sunday night — just in time for the fire's biggest growth.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Eagle Creek Fire merged with the already-burning Indian Creek Fire to the south, creating one massive 20,000-acre inferno. More than 600 people are involved in firefighting efforts, including personnel from local fire districts in the Portland metro region and beyond.

The fire reportedly began Saturday afternoon, Sept. 2, when a 15-year-old boy from Vancouver, Washington, threw fireworks into dry brush in the Eagle Creek Canyon. Oregon State Police have identified and interviewed the boy, though no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed, officials said. The fire is reportedly still under investigation.

For more Eagle Creek Fire coverage:

• Massive Eagle Creek Fire Merged With 1,000-Acre Indian Creek Fire Overnight
• 'Giggling Kids With Fireworks' Responsible For Eagle Creek Fire, Witness Says
• Eagle Creek Fire Suspect Is 15-Year-Old Washington Boy: Oregon State Police

And for more of Hoeflein's Columbia River Gorge photography, visit OcaHoeflein.com.

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Screenshot, video embed courtesy of Oca Hoeflein