APPLEGATE, Ore-- On Wednesday harvesting continued at the English Lavender Farm, even though smoke started to fill the farm.
"It's that time of year." said Derek Owen. He is the co-owner of the farm. "With smoke approaching we are packing bags getting ready in case." He and his wife are not panicked at this point. That's because of the response from the Oregon Department of Forestry.
"I hear planes, I hear helicopters and I have to say any concern I had is mitigated by the fact that people are turning up and fighting it." said Owen. However bags are still packed. "A suit case full of clothes, our insurance documents obviously and a few family photographs that can't be replaced."
The Owens are not worried about packing up any lavender or their shop for two reasons. One because they have insurance. "I don't have to worry about lavender burning. It doesn't." said Owen. The plants are harder to catch on fire. "There are many cases where a fire, a wildfire approached a lavender field and just stopped."
So on Wednesday Owen worked in his shop, creating more essential oil for next year. While the Panther Gulch Wildfire burns just a few miles away.