Central Oregon Wildfire Recap

Until recently this year, Central Oregon had experienced a relatively mild wildfire season. That changed on Aug. 21 when the Flat Fire, of still-unknown causes, originated on private land in Jefferson County. Burning with zero-containment for about four days, the Flat Fire eventually destroyed five residences and 11 structures, burning within 2 miles of Sisters. Fire crews now report 97% containment of the 23,346-acre fire, according to a post by the Flat Fire Information Team. Evacuation Levels 2 and 3 have been lifted, yet Level 1: Be Ready is still in place in certain areas, according to the Deschutes County Emergency Information hub online.

Smaller fires, such as the Black Rock Fire, east of Antelope, and the Camel Fire, north of Mitchell, have consumed 3,500 acres and 83 acres, respectively. Central Oregon Fire Info offers comprehensive coverage and updates. Another good resource is Watch Duty, a free website/smartphone app that tracks fire maps and sends notifications to your phone.

On Sept. 2, the Marks Creek Fire sparked near Prineville; it has since consumed 1,925 acres. Crews, which include 586 people, have activated 27 fire engines, 15 water tenders, eight bulldozers and two helicopters to battle the fire, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team. Six skidgines (which feature larger water tanks than standard wildfire engines) and two fellers/bunchers are also in use.

Marks Creek firefighters are working 24/7 to build and reinforce containment lines. Crews along the northern and northeastern flanks are beginning mop-up. The southwestern edge, which runs along steep, rugged terrain, limits the direct access available to crews. On the northwestern side of the fire, patrols are putting out spot fires and mopping up burned areas. Crews are using heavy machinery, such as dozers and skidgines to build and reinforce containment lines around the fire’s borders, while helicopters provide support efforts overhead where allowable.

An evacuation map is viewable on the Crook County Emergency Management Office website. A Red Flag Warning is in effect over the fire area from 1pm to 11pm. A Red Flag Warning indicates that warm temperatures, very low humidities and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger, according to the National Weather Service. Highway 26 remains open, yet drivers are advised to stay out of the fire area and proceed with caution elsewhere since firefighters and crews with heavy machinery are working the area.

ODF IMT2 will be hosting a community meeting at the Crook County Fairgrounds in the Grizzly Mountain Pavilion on Sept. 5 at 6pm. The public will get an update from the team operations and incident commander, with comments from the Agency Administrators. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions to fire representatives, according to a release.

Smoky Central Oregon skies

Smoky days are on the rise in Central Oregon, according to a July report published by the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Air quality monitoring for fine particulate matter that reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (an air quality index of 101-150) or worse noted 16 days, five of which were Unhealthy (AQI of 151-200) in Bend in 2024. That’s far more smoky days than there were between 1989 to 2012, according to the report authors, who noted only seven days with AQIs rated USG or worse. A sharp uptick happened between 2013 and 2023, when 83 USG or worse days were recorded — an average of eight days per year.

Sisters’ smoky days are increasing, too. Between 2012 and 2024, Sisters experienced 88 days of USG or worse; 65 of those days were between 2017 and 2024. Bend, in the same timeframe, saw 94 days with AQIs ranking USG or worse.

Reliable data for AQI levels in 2025 were not immediately available.