Hunters renting a historic U.S. Forest Service log cabin in the Elkhorn Mountains doused a fire that spread from the cabin’s fireplace to a wall and the ceiling on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Their efforts saved Peavy Cabin, built in 1934, said Kendall Cikanek, Whitman District ranger.

No one was hurt in the fire.

The cabin, along the North Fork of the John Day River between Anthony Lakes and Granite, was built in 1934 by George Wilcox Peavy, then dean of the School of Forestry at Oregon State University. A Forest Service employee, Larry Bilyeu, restored the cabin in the early 1990s.

The Forest Service makes the cabin available for rent through a contract administered by Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort.

“While the fire at Peavy Cabin was an unfortunate incident, it was also a shining example of cooperation and shared stewardship,” said Kendall Cikanek, Whitman District Ranger. “Everyone is safe, and the cabin is still standing, and that is thanks to a coordinated response from the hunters staying at the cabin, the North Powder Rural Fire Protection District, and Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort.”

The fire started when heat escaped from the fireplace chimney, setting fire to a wall and the cabin’s ceiling, according to Kendall Cikanek, Whitman District Ranger.

Flames burned a section of logs on the outside of the cabin in one area.

The hunters spent much of the night pouring water on the fire, Cikanek said.

North Powder Rural Fire Protection District and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest fire staff arrived early Wednesday, Oct. 28, and confirmed that there was no heat left, he said.

Jay Moore, recreation specialist for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, said: “Clearly, the cabin will need to be repaired, although we are relieved to see that it remains sealed from the winter weather. We will also explore alternatives to firewood heat to reduce the risk of a future fire.”

Peavy Cabin was slated to close for the season on Oct. 31 regardless.

The Whitman District’s goal is to have it ready for rental by May 1, 2021.