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Breitenbush Hot Springs, one of Oregon’s most beloved clothing-optional hippie hangs, has been spared from wildfire this season.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has lifted all evacuation alerts for the facility, located about 11 miles northeast of Detroit, Ore., along Highway 22.
That area had been under a Level 1—Be Ready advisory because of the Bull Complex Fires, which broke out Aug. 2 following a series of lightning strikes. By the middle of the month, those blazes expanded and joined one another.
The complex fire, tearing through nearly 25,000 acres to date, is only 20% contained at this point, according to the Incident Information System.
However, the sheriff’s office cited slow-moving rain showers and increased humidity as the reason to lift the evacuation alerts. The moisture is expected to limit fire progression and provide some much-needed relief for drought-stressed trees and undergrowth.
Despite the Level 1 notice, this year’s threat was nothing like what Breitenbrush experienced last year when Labor Day weekend fires, fueled by strong east winds, ignited in the Santiam Canyon.
The Beachie Creek and Lionshead fires ripped through nearly half the structures at the resort, including all guest cabins, a massage house, sanctuary, maintenance-wood shop and several community cabins. Breitenbush, known for its nudist-friendly geothermal soaking pools, meditation workshops, and wellness retreats, has been rebuilding slowly ever since and is still accepting donations to support that process.
According to its website, the facility is open on a much smaller scale while it continues to work on new lodging. And even though Breitenbush’s clothing policy may be relaxed, the booking policy is firm. Reservations are required for day use access as well as overnight stays in your own tent or RV.