Authorities say the Alder Springs Fire is human caused and estimate it will be contained by July 1. The fire started Monday, June 16, eight miles northwest of Terrebonne. It’s estimated to be around 3,442 acres with 0% containment. According to Central Oregon Fire Info, the Alder Springs Fire is burning on the Crooked River National Grassland, Prineville District BLM managed lands and private land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The fire is threatening 200 homes and 150 minor structures.
Firefighters are working into the night, staying engaged with structure protection through the night, with no damage to homes or buildings as of 9am Tuesday.
On June 17, firefighters will work to secure the perimeters. With the support of aerial resources, firefighters will work to secure the fire east of the Deschutes River, threatening Crooked River Ranch.
The fire, approximately one mile northeast of the Alder Springs Trailhead, was reported around 9:40am on Monday and quickly grew due to dry and windy conditions. By 4:30pm, it grew to 1,500 acres, leading to evacuations in areas of Jefferson County.
By 7:30pm on Monday, the fire had jumped the Deschutes River and was burning on to the east and increasing evacuation notices. Around 9:30pm, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act – the second one so far in 2025.
Evacuations are in place for areas of Jefferson and Deschutes Counties. For more information on evacuation notices, visit the Deschutes County Evacuation Map and the Jefferson County Evacuation Map.
A temporary evacuation point is established at Highland Baptist Church, at 3100 SW Highland Avenue, Redmond. A large animal shelter is established at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds, at 3800 SW Airport Way, Redmond.
This article appears in Source Weekly June 12, 2025.
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Any bets on what the cause of this fire will turn out to be?