Oregon wildfires: level 3 evacuations issued for Microwave Tower Fire near Columbia Gorge (2024)

For the latest wildfires updates, go to this story.

Nearly 100 fires were burning across the state on Monday, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

The weekend saw red flag warnings, wind, lightning and thunderstorms that rolled through the state. Conditions were set to remain challenging for firefighters on Monday.

Temperatures were forecast to be in the high 70s and 80s throughout much of this week.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal is asking Oregonians to pay attention to the fire danger and take steps to avoid sparking a fire.

“Our firefighters are doing everything thing they can to rise to this immense challenge, but they are taxed, and we need our fellow Oregonians’ help," Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a press release Sunday. "Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire, be familiar with evacuation levels, and have a go-kit ready in case you need to leave your home.”

Here's the latest updates on wildfires burning across the state.

Level 3 evacuations ordered for Microwave Tower Fire near Mosier

Residents in Mosier west of the Columbia Gorge are being asked to evacuate due to the Microwave Tower Fire, which is being driven by strong winds.

Here are the evacuation levels for areas in Mosier related to the fire:

  • Level 3 “go now”: From Highway 30 south of Proctor Road, east to Huskey Road and the border of Mosier and west to the Hood River County line.
  • Level 2 “get set”: Mosier and from Huskey Road east to Mosier Creek Road and south to Jasper Lane.

There is a Red Cross shelter available for evacuees at Hood River Middle School,1602 May St.,, Hood River, OR., 97031.

The fire started Monday afternoon west of Rattler Ridge west of Mosier. A large airtanker has been ordered to help with the fire.

The fire is burning in grass and timber and is being pushed eastwards by strong westerly winds. The fire is estimated to be 100 to 150 acres.

For info on evacuation levels, go to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff/

Campfires prohibited on BLM public lands in Northwest Oregon District

Campfires will be prohibited on all Bureau of Land Management public lands throughout the Northwest Oregon District starting Tuesday.

Fires, campfires, smoking in vegetated areas, using vehicles in unmanaged vegetated areas, operating a chainsaw, welding, cutting or grinding, or using an internal combustion engine without a spark arrestor will be prohibited. The BLM announced Monday these stronger restrictions will remain in effect until rescinded.

More information on restrictions and closures can be found at blm.gov/orwafire

Air quality advisory issued for southern, central and eastern Oregon

The Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory due to fire smoke on Monday. The air quality advisory is for the following counties: Baker, Grant, Wheeler, Crook, Union, southern Morrow, southern Umatilla, Klamath, eastern Douglas, northern Harney and northern Malheur.

The DEQ expects intermittent smoke in Deschutes, eastern Lane, Jackson, Josephine and the northern Lake County through Wednesday due to the Diamond Complex Fire.

Oregon wildfires: level 3 evacuations issued for Microwave Tower Fire near Columbia Gorge (1)

Pyramid Fire, Ore Fire, High Prairie Fire burn in Willamette National Forest

Interagency crews are tracking 24 in the Willamette National Forest, with 22 started by lightning last week. Ten of those fires have been contained, according to a news release.

"Crews are working hard, and resources are stretched across the region to meet the need as new starts are detected," the release said.

The Pyramid Fire was 535 acres as of Monday morning east of Sweet Home in the Tombstone Pass area north of Highway 20 and south of Detroit near Santiam Junction.

The Red Flag Warning expired Sunday and near-normal temperatures and humidity are expected for the rest of the week due to onshore flow pushing cooler marine air inland, according to a Monday morning update.

The control efforts for Monday were set to focus on using heavy equipment to open and improve the 2041 Road and the forest road near Shedd Camp.

The lightning-caused fire was reported last Wednesday. Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan issued a level 3 "go now" evacuation order for a large area of the Sweet Home Ranger District that mostly includes hiking trails and campgrounds in the Old Cascades region. The evacuation was coordinated with the U.S. Forest Service, and a closure of the area was likely. View a map of the closure area at tinyurl.com/LinnCoFireMap.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 took command of the fire on Sunday morning.

"The fire is burning in old-growth forests with heavy timber and steep rugged terrain, making access difficult for firefighters," according to an Sunday update. "Crews have been constructing indirect containment lines using heavy equipment, opening up old roads, and clearing trails in an effort to keep the fire from spreading into the Middle Santiam Wilderness, private industrial timberlands, and communities."

The Ore Fire, burning 7 miles northeast of Blue River, was reported to be 645 acres as of Monday morning. Rugged terrain of the Cascades and hot and dry weather pose difficulties for crews battling the flames. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

On Sunday, aviation resources dropped water to moderate fire behavior and the fire slowly backed down the hillside above the FS 15 Road where it was met and held by crews on the ground. Crews continued strengthening control by widening roads and removing vegetation along the FS 15, 1509 and 1513 Roads, according to a news release.

On Monday, crews were set to continue to scout additional sites where they can build control lines and stop the fire from spreading.

Oregon wildfires: level 3 evacuations issued for Microwave Tower Fire near Columbia Gorge (2)

Willamette National Forest issued a closure order around much of Blue River Reservoir due to the Ore Fire. The closure included the following sites: Buck Mountain Trail, Tidbits South and West Trail, Gold Hill Trail, Mona Campground, Lookout Campground, and Saddle Dam Boat Launch. A map and breakdown of the closure can be found at bit.ly/4f2uzQi.

Willamette National Forest issued a closure in the Middle Fork Ranger District for the Chalk Fire. East of Saddleblanket Mountain, the lighting sparked fire has grown to 600 acres since last Wednesday. Closed recreation sites and campgrounds include North Fork Segment #2 Trailhead and Trail 1912 and 1919. Willamette National Forest has also issued closures due to the 300-acre Pyramid Fire in the Sweet Home Ranger District. Fire closure orders for public and firefighter safety were also issued for the Tire Mountain Fire and Moss Mountain Fire near the Diamond Peak Wilderness. For closure info, go to: fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices

Fires that are contained or controlled include, according to Willamette National Forest: Skipper, Alpine, Deer Creek, Deer Butte, 199 MR, 202 MR, 226 MR, 212 SRZ, 225 SRZ, and Westfir-Oakridge Road.

Burn ban issued for Linn County

A burn ban was issued Saturday for Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home, Scio, Tangent, Brownsville, Halsey-Shedd and Harrisburg due to extreme weather conditions.

The Linn County Fire Defense Board is prohibiting open flames, including campfires, fire pits and warming fires. Gas grills are permitted during the ban, according to a news release from the Lebanon Fire District.

People are asked to use power equipment like mowers, weed trimmers, welders and grinders during the cooler early part of the day and to have water available when using gas-powered equipment.

Oregon wildfires: level 3 evacuations issued for Microwave Tower Fire near Columbia Gorge (3)

BLM closes public lands due to wildfires southeast of Cottage Grove

Bureau of Land Management public lands southeast of Cottage Grove are closed due to wildfires in the areas of Sharps Creek and Clark Creek.

"The closure is for public and firefighter safety, and to allow fire suppression crews to continue to safely respond to the incident," according to a Saturday news release from the BLM Northwest Oregon District.

The closure area includes:

The Sharps Creek Campground and BLM-managed public lands southeast of the town of Dorena, surrounding Sharps Creek Road (County Road 2460 / BLM Road No. 23-1-12) and Clark Creek Road (BLM Road No. 23-1-13). It includes BLM lands in Township 22S, Range 1W, and Township 23S, Range 1W, Sections 1-3, 11-14, 22-24, 26-27, 33-34.

These areas are closed to the public and for activities including hiking, mining, hunting and camping.

BLM said Sharps Creek Road and Clark Creek Road are open to residents in the closure area.

For more info and a map, go to: blm.gov/orwafire.

Cluster of fires southeast of Dorena

There were cluster of fires burning southeast of Cottage Drove and Dorena as of Sunday morning, including the Lane 1 Fire (562 acres). The Adam Mountain Fire (60 acres) was reported Thursday but has not been updated since.

Level 3 evacuation orders issued for Lemolo Fire

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Saturday night issued level 3 "go now" and level 2 "be ready" evacuation orders for the Lemolo Fire. The fire was reported to be at least 373 acres as of Sunday night.

Level 3 evacuations were issued for:

  • Bunker Hill Campground
  • Lemolo KOA Campground
  • Poole Creek Campground/Boat Ramp
  • Kelsay Valley Campground

The North Umpqua Trail between USFS 2612 Road and Windigo Pass intersection, west to North Umpqua Trail as it intersects with USFS 2612 Road.

This includes all areas on north and northeast side of Lemolo Lake, according to the sheriff's office.

Level 2 evacuation orders have been issued for:

  • East Lemolo Campground
  • USFS 2614 Road south of Inlet Campground, including Kelsay Valley, Pumice Flat and Elbow Butte areas.

An evacuation map can be found at www.dcso.com/evacuations

Find more info at the Diamond Complex Fire Information Facebook page.

Oregon wildfires: level 3 evacuations issued for Microwave Tower Fire near Columbia Gorge (4)

12 fires burn at least 2,385 acres in the Diamond Complex

Twelve lightning-caused fires were burning at least 2,385 acres in the Diamond Complex in Umpqua National Forest.

These are the active fires in the complex:

  • Pine Bench: 1,107 acres (north of Highway 138 near Dry Creek)
  • Trail: 744 acres (east of Highway 138 on the west slope of Mount Thielsen)
  • Lemolo: 373 acres (north of Lemolo Lake on Bunker Hill)
  • Pig Iron: 27 acres (Pig Iron Mountain north of Highway 138)
  • Watson: 77 acres (north of Highway 138 on Watson Ridge)
  • Brodie: 67 acres (about 5 miles south of Highway 138 and south of Devils Canyon)
  • Trep: 58 acres (about 4 miles south of Highway 138)
  • Garwood: 5 acres (about 3 miles southwest of Mount Bailey)
  • Slide: 0.1 acres (northeast of Pine Bench)
  • Potter: 242 acres (north of Highway 138 about 2 miles southeast of Potter Mt.)
  • Ooya: 95 acres (north of Highway 138 about 1 mile northeast of Bird Point)
  • Clearwater: 3 acres (south of Highway 138 about 5 miles northwest of Diamond Lake)

A level 2 "be set" evacuation warning was issued due to the Boulder Flat/Pine Bench Fire east of Roseburg and Glide in the North Umpqua Canyon near Toketee Falls. The evacuation was for homes in the Slide Creek area downstream to theSoda Springs area due to a fire near Soda Springs and Pine Bench in Toketee. A map of the evacuation area can be found here: bit.ly/4dc3qsB.

On Sunday, "Dozer lines were reinforced with water delivery hose lines from Hwy 138 to the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness boundary. Firefighters continued active suppression on the Pig Iron fire and made good progress to protect critical infrastructure. Firefighters worked to keep the Pine Bench fire west of Forest Road 4775 and away from critical infrastructure as the fire moves north into the Boulder Creek Wilderness," according to a Monday new release.

The weather in the area will begin a warming trend with drier weather expected to continue into Wednesday. This will add to the challenging fire behavior due to rugged and steep terrain.

Round Mountain, Wickiup fires burn in Central Oregon

The Round Mountain and Wickiup fires on Deschutes National Forest are at a combined 276 acres as of Monday morning, according to Central Oregon Fire Info. Wickiup Fire is now at 40% containment and Round Mountain is at 10%. Level 2 and 3 evacuation orders were issued around Wickiup Reservoir.

All lines held overnight into Monday morning on the Wickiup and Round Mountain fires. On Monday, crews were set to continue to use equipment and water to secure and strengthen lines to keep the fires in their current footprint.

Evacuation maps can be found at bit.ly/3Wr3y1B.

Highway closures due to Jackpine Fire

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office has closed Highway 31 north and southbound due to the 180-acre Jackpine Fire.

The fire is 15% contained. According to Central Oregon Fire Info, firefighters improved dozer lines around the perimeter, installed hoses and cooled hot spots on Saturday.

A lever 2 "be set" evacuation was issued west of Highway 97 to the Deschutes County line south of Masten Road.

Find current evacuation areas at: deschutes.org/emergency

Durkee Fire in Eastern Oregon grows to 173,758 acres

The Durkee Fire in Baker County grew to 173,758 acres as of Monday morning and was 0% contained.

On Saturday, Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the fire.

On Friday, the Oregon State Fire Marshal sent structural protection resources in the form of firefighters and equipment to fight the fire in Eastern Oregon.

The fire was first reported last Wednesday and sparked by lightning strikes. The fire has brought level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations around Baker County. An evacuation map can be found at bit.ly/3YaNUJ0

Pilot Rock Fire reaches 19,000 acres in Umatilla County

The Pilot Rock Fire is burning in Umatilla County and was 19,000 acres and 94% contained as of Sunday morning.

Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for a series of fires in Umatilla Countynear Pilot Rock last Wednesday.The Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized its Green Incident Management Team to protect homes in the area.

Falls Fire roars to 132,751 acres in Grant and Harney counties

The Falls Fire burning in Grant and Harney counties near Burns reached 132,751 acres and was 15% contained as of Monday morning, according to the morning update.

The Sunday evening update indicated fire activity increased on the north side of the fire. Crews were going to work overnight to build control lines.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal requested help from California to protect life and property against the fire on Friday.

The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services provided three strike teams with 15 fire engines and 80 firefighters from nine different counties to provide structural protection.

Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation orders remained in place in Grant and Harney counties. The Harney County Sheriff’s evacuation map can be found at bit.ly/4d1XvX2 for the most accurate evacuation notices.

Ten residences and 13 "other" structures were destroyed in the early stages of the fire, according to Oregon State Fire Marshal structure teams.

This fire forced the closure of several areas in the Malheur National Forest. Emigrant Creek Campground, Falls Campground, Yellowjacket Campground and Delintment Lake Campground were all closed.

Larch Creek Fire drops all remaining evacuations

The Larch Creek Fire was reported to be 18,286 acres and 81% contained as of Monday morning.

On Monday, the Wasco County Sheriff's Office dropped all remaining evacuation orders.

Fire restrictions in place for Willamette and Siuslaw national forests, majority of places in Oregon

The majority of Oregon's national and state forests outlawed campfires, except in campgrounds.

Willamette National Forest and Siuslaw national forests, to the east and west of the Willamette Valley, implemented fire restrictions this week.

Fire restrictions prohibit all campfires, charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires or other open fires outside of designated campgrounds. Building, maintaining or using a fire, campfire or stove was still permitted in designated metal campfire rings or grills in designated recreational sites.

Restrictions for smoking, off-highway vehicles and chainsaws in campgrounds were also in effect.

Restrictions and updates to restrictions as they change can be found at fs.usda.gov/main/willamette/fire.

Statesman Journal outdoors intern Emma Logan contributed to this report.

Jonathan Williams is the news editor at the Statesman Journal. Reach him at JCWilliams1@salem.gannett.com.

Oregon wildfires: level 3 evacuations issued for Microwave Tower Fire near Columbia Gorge (2024)

FAQs

When was the big fire in the Columbia Gorge? ›

Eagle Creek Fire was a fast-moving fire that impacted parts of the Columbia River Gorge in September 2017. Explore the links below for the backstory, post-fire hazards to watch for, response efforts to date, and the ecological recovery of the forest.

Where is the big Oregon fire? ›

Much of the fire activity is in eastern Oregon, where the Durkee Fire was ignited last week by lightning and has scorched nearly 270,000 acres in Baker and Malheur counties.

What is level 3 evacuation in Washington state? ›

The Level 3 applies to the area from just north of Moore Point through the Stehekin Valley, including the Stehekin Landing and west to High Bridge. A Level 3 (get out now!) alerts residents to go now and evacuate immediately. A wildfire in the area poses an immediate threat to the life and safety of people in the area.

What is a Level 2 fire evacuation in Oregon? ›

LEVEL 2 – Be Set

Residents MAY have time to gather necessary items, but doing so is at their own risk. THIS MAY BE THE ONLY NOTICE THAT YOU RECEIVE Emergency services cannot guarantee that they will be able to notify you if conditions rapidly deteriorate. Area media services will be asked to broadcast periodic updates.

Is there a fire in the Columbia Gorge right now? ›

*No current wildfires. Updates about large, active wildfires in the Columbia River Gorge will be posted on InciWeb, the clearinghouse for major national incidents, if they last several days.

How deep is the Columbia River? ›

The only information available states that the depth of the Columbia River varies between 400-1250 feet.

What is Stage 4 evacuation? ›

Stage four of an evacuation is a full evacuation, meaning that an entire building needs to be evacuated.

What are three evacuations? ›

Understanding the three categories of fire safety evacuation plans is crucial if you're responsible for evacuating a building during a fire. 3 types of Fire Evacuation include- vertical or horizontal evacuation, full evacuation, and simultaneous evacuation.

What are the four P's of evacuation? ›

Start with the five P's; people and pet supplies, prescriptions, papers, personal needs and priceless items. Check with your neighbors, family, friends and elders through video chats or phone calls to ensure they are READY.

How do I know my evacuation zone in Oregon? ›

Check the county emergency management website and follow local emergency services on social media for updates (county, sheriff's office, fire agencies). Tune in to local news for more information.

What is the acceptable level of evacuation? ›

ASHRAE recommends evacuation to below 1000 microns for moisture removal and below 500 microns after replacing a compressor. Some equipment manufacturers call for evacuation to 400 microns to ensure that harmful water vapor is removed from the system.

What is a Type 2 wildland firefighter? ›

The Firefighter Type 2 serves on a hand crew, engine crew, or helitack crew, performing fire suppression and fuels management duties in the most adverse climate, fuel, and terrain conditions.

Which city experienced the Great fire of 1871? ›

On October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. For more than 24 hours, the fire burned through the heart of Chicago, killing 300 people and leaving one-third of the city's population homeless.

What was the cause of the tunnel 5 fire? ›

In 2007, the Broughton Fire burned 200 acres and seven structures (including five houses) in the precise location as the Tunnel 5 Fire. That fire was determined to have been caused by the BNSF Railway Company's grinding of nearby railroad tracks.

When did the great fire of 1910 happen? ›

For two terrifying days and night's - August 20 and 21, 1910 - the fire raged across three million acres of virgin timberland in northern Idaho and western Montana. Many thought the world would end, and for 86 fire victims, it did.

Where was the Cuyahoga River fire in 1969? ›

Regardless, the Cuyahoga River fire has become a symbol of water pollution and the environmental movement. Today, we celebrate this symbolism, not just the facts of the story. The fire took place in Cleveland, Ohio, a few miles north of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Heavy industry dominates this section of the river.

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