Monument to Ore. Hotshots Included in War Memorials

May 26--One of the best places to understand the sacrifices firefighters make is at the Wildland Firefighters Monument in the central Oregon town of Prineville.

The monument was dedicated in 1996 in the memory of nine members of the Prineville Hot Shots, who were among 14 firefighters who died on July 6, 1994, while fighting the Storm King fire outside Glenwood Springs, Colo. It was the nation's third-deadliest wildfire of the past 70 years, at the time.

Parents of the nine Prineville Hot Shots helped conceive the monument to honor past, present and future wildland firefighters. The Wildland Firefighters Monument was dedicated at Prineville's Ochoco Creek Park on June 15, 1996. The bronze memorial shows firefighters with clothing and equipment from the 1994 season.

Cast by sculptor David R. Nelson of Marble, Colo., the sculpture is one-quarter larger than life size and is set on a 3-foot stone base. It measures 14 feet long, 8 feet wide and 11 feet high. Plaques set in stone line the walkway to the monument. They tell a bit about the nine young firefighters who died that day.

Another nearby monument, called the Circle of Honor, is dedicated to the missing in action and prisoners of war from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm.

To find the memorial park from the center of Prineville, drive two blocks east of Main Street on U.S. 26, passing the Crook County Courthouse at the first block. Turn north on Elm Street, drive one block and park on the east side of the street at Ochoco Creek Park.

Prineville is the seat of Crook County, a 146-mile drive southeast of Portland on U.S. 26.

With all the vacation traffic that Bend and Sunriver get, residents of central Oregon have discovered that Prineville and its surrounding recreation lands are the place to escape from crowds. Fly fishing on the Crooked River south of town is legendary, while camping and hiking in the Ochoco National Forest are like stepping back to a time when trails weren't crowded. The Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is an hour's drive east via U.S. 26.

Prineville has a number of motels. For camping, head for the Ochoco National Forest or Ochoco Lake east of town, or to Prineville Reservoir State Park, or the federal Bureau of Land Management's Crooked River byway south of town.

Prineville Reservoir State Park is host to a first-class Star Party on Saturday, May 31.

The firefighter monument is accessible year-round and there is no cost to visit.

Info: Prineville-Crook County Chamber of Commerce, 541-447-6304; www.visitprineville.org.

More of our Prineville reporting:

The Cada Dia Cheese farm features tours, tastings every Tuesday (with photos by Jamie Francis' and my video -- but you don't have to watch the video, though I wouldn't put it up if is wasn't fun)

Crook County, Prineville the quiet part of central Oregon (links of places to go and things to do)

Gerry Frank's picks: From breakfast to dinner, check out these local dining spots, including Prineville (thanks Penny and Phil for the statute)

Prineville and Crooked River offer high desert camping escape, fishing included

Ochoco National Forest east of Prineville deals out winter fun even without ski lifts (photo gallery)

Prineville, Ochoco National Forest offer old-time winter fun; this is different than the one above.

Prineville, Ochoco National Forest, Crook County BLM lands shine in summer, too

Steins Pillar and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

Prineville BLM seeks removal of geocaches, letterboxes from wilderness, other sensitive areas

-- Terry Richard

Copyright 2014 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.