After Tuesday night’s lightning activity and continued hot, dry weather in Central Oregon, several wildfires started Wednesday and fire activity picked up Wednesday afternoon. Reconnaissance flights, lookouts and ground crews identified several fire starts. Firefighters have responded to over 15 fires since Tuesday. Of those fires, 13 have been contained or controlled by fire crews and aerial resources with most less than a tenth of an acre.
The Round Mountain and Wickiup Fires are burning on the Deschutes National Forest north of Wickiup Reservoir. Resources responded Wednesday afternoon and currently engines, crews, dozers and overhead resources are on scene of the two fires. Aerial resources include air attack and 6 single engine air tankers (SEATs). The Round Mountain Fire is estimated at about 30 acres and Wickiup Fire at about 40 acres.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 3 (Go Now) and Level 2 (Get Set) evacuation notices north of Wickiup Reservoir. Find current evacuation areas at: deschutes.org/emergency. An interactive map of evacuations is available here:
Level 3: Go Now: National Forest area north of Wickiup, Forest Service Road 4262 and Forest Service Road 4380 and south of Forest Service Road 42 (South Century Drive)
Level 2: Be Set: National Forest area between Road 4380 and the Deschutes River including Bull Bend and Wyeth Campgrounds and private inholdings along the west side of the river at Haner Park
Level 1: Be Ready: Haner Park subdivision east of the Deschutes River
The Red Fire, also burning on the Deschutes National Forest, is in the Diamond Peak Wilderness located in steep terrain northwest of Crescent Lake near Red Mountain. Smokejumpers have responded and Wednesday afternoon fire bosses (single engine scoopers) were used. The fire was estimated at about 50 acres. Incident 439 is also in the vicinity northwest of Crescent Lake and firefighters have constructed fire line around the 0.1-acre fire.
Visit the official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire.
