Monday, July 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM Fire officials will provide the latest updates on current fire activity, firefighting efforts, evacuation information, and answer questions from the community. The meeting will be livestreamed on the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SCSRPD
Oak Fire west of Redmond
Web page: centraloregonfire.org/
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Facebook page: facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1381273814180057&set=a.206553228318794
Watch Duty Fire Info: app.watchduty.org/i/109708
Live cameras: https://alertwest.live/
The Oak Fire broke out west of Redmond on Highway 126 at Oak Lane at 2:38pm on Sunday, July 19. It started as a 5-acre fire with the cause under investigation. The brush fire was moving in a southerly direction and threatened structures. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Facebook page has updated information on evacuations and where to take animals.
Akawa Butte Fire along the Jefferson-Deschutes County line and other area fires
Facebook page: facebook.com/akawabuttefire
Web page: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/or95s-akawa-butte-fire
A virtual community meeting will be held at 7 PM on Monday, July 20th. Details will be published on the Akawa Butte Fire Facebook page.
Night shift worked to reinforce dozer lines and build some depth in areas across the Akawa Butte, Brewer and Pilot Fires. Focus was given to improving dozer lines with handline work.
Oregon State Fire Marshal Red Incident Management Team entered into unified command with ODF IMT2 at 0600 Sunday morning. Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Complex Incident Management Team 3 will take command of the Brewer and Box Springs Fires at 1800 and will be inbriefed at noon today. OSFM structural task forces will be deployed on both the Brewer and Akawa Butte Fires today.
Brewer Fire
Overnight crews worked to continue building dozer line on the northeast side of the fire. Line has been established and is holding around the north end of the fire. Today, firefighters will continue to work on the north and southeast parts of the fire, building handline and widening dozer lines. They are using tanker drops to support the work along the flanks.
On Saturday morning, the Emergency Conflagration Act was invoked for the Akawa Butte and Brewer fires in Deschutes and Jefferson counties. The Oregon State Fire Marshal is assigning its Red Incident Management Team and several task forces to the fires to work alongside its wildland partners to protect nearby communities and critical infrastructure. Hot, dry weather and strong, shifting winds created difficult firefighting conditions across Central Oregon Friday. The fires have grown significantly, threatening nearby communities. The Deschutes and Jefferson County sheriff’s offices have levels 1, 2, and 3 evacuation notices in place. Those looking for evacuation information should follow their local sheriff’s office.
Conditions will continue to be hot and dry on Saturday. The wind will be light in the morning but is expected to increase in the afternoon. Fire managers expect challenging, wind-driven fire activity later in the day. “The conditions we’re seeing across Oregon have challenged firefighters for the past week and the current forecast isn’t providing much relief,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “I’m urging every Oregonian to be wildfire aware and to sign up for their county’s emergency alerts. Know the evacuation levels and follow them if they are issued.”
The Oregon State Fire Marshal Red Incident Management Team will be in unified command with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Team 2. This is the fifth time the Emergency Conflagration Act has been invoked in 2026. The Oregon State Fire Marshal is posting updates on incidents it has resources assigned to on osfminfo.org. Oregonians can sign up for emergency alerts at oralert.gov.
Pilot Fire is 7-miles northwest of Post
There was no additional growth to the Pilot Fire yesterday. Resources patrolled and held the established containment line around the fire perimeter. Crews will build additional depth to the lines today, working to grow containment.
Weather and Fire Behavior
Cooler evening temperatures last night brought mildly elevated humidity. Today’s temperatures will be in the 90s with critically low humidity. Winds are forecasted to increase between 3 and 7 PM. Hot, dry and windy conditions will be prime for extreme fire behavior and crews are prepared for increased activity.
Evacuations
County sheriff’s offices issue evacuation orders. The most current evacuation information is available at:
Crook County: https://www.facebook.com/CrookCountySheriff
Deschutes County: https://www.facebook.com/DeschutesCountySheriff/
Jefferson County: https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonCountyORSheriff/
Closures
BLM has issued closures for lands in and near the fires. See below for current information:
BLM Closures and Restrictions: https://www.blm.gov/programs/fire/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions
Air Quality Information: https://fire.airnow.gov/
Rowe Creek Complex combines wildfires in Crook, Wheeler and Wasco counties
Facebook page with updated information: facebook.com/rowecreekcomplex
Web page: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orprd-rowe-creek-complex
Size: 126,978 Incident Start Date: July 15, 2026
Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning
Location: Fossil, Oregon Fuels:Grass, juniper, timber
Incident Name Change: Active fires in Wheeler, Wasco, and Crook counties are now designated as the Rowe Creek Complex. Most have merged into the Crosswhite Fire, with Camel Hump, Parrish, and Deep Canyon remaining separate.
Saturday July 18: Structural task forces with the Oregon State Fire Marshal, members of the local Rangeland Fire Protection Association (RFPA) and wildland firefighters focused on protecting structures and public safety. Fire crews were also able to scout the fires’ perimeters and building fire control line. Hot, dry weather kept fire behavior active, and low overnight relative humidity caused that activity to continue overnight. An infrared flight last night captured more accurate acreage for all fires in the complex.
Conflagration Act:
On July 17, Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Rowe Creek Complex. The Wheeler County Fire Defense Board Chief requested assistance with life, safety, and structural fire protection, and the State Fire Marshal concurred with that request. In accordance with ORS 476.510-476.610, Governor Kotek determined that a threat to life, safety, and property exists due to the fire, and the threat exceeds the firefighting capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment. The Governor’s declaration allows the State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources through the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System to support local fire service agencies on scene. The conflagration was declared only for theRowe Creek Complex threatening structures in Wheeler County. A link to Executive Order 26-16 can be found here.
Crosswhite Fire: (113,046 acres) Combined with the Twickenham, Red Rock, Pat’s Cabin, and Cove’s Creek Fires. Yesterday’s winds pushed the fire southwest toward Mitchell, while the northern portions held along Clarno Road and Rowe Creek Road.
Camel Hump Fire: (4,480 acres) Had increased fire activity in the afternoon. Crews established dozer line between mile markers 5 and 8 along Highway 207 on the fire’s eastern side. Steep, rugged terrain on the southeastern portion slowed suppression efforts as ground crews worked to identify safe access points to establish fire control line.
Deep Canyon: (8,062 acres) Saw minimal fire growth. This allowed firefighters to establish fire control line to build containment. These fires were patrolled through the night for changes in fire activity.
Parrish Fire: (410 acres) remained separate from the merged fires. Fire behavior has moderated allowing firefighters to establish control line around the fire’s perimeter. They will continue to patrol for changes in fire activity and conduct mop-up to build fire containment.
Sunday: Firefighters will continue prioritizing point protection of structures and public safety across fires. Where feasible, crews will work to build fire control line to establish containment and limit additional fire spread. Hot, dry weather conditions may increase active fire behavior today, including the potential for spotting and torching. Multiple agencies, including the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, will coordinate closely with the affected RFPA to support suppression operations. With containment holding along eastern portions of the Crosswhite Fire, structural task forces will be reassigned from to the southern flank where forecasted weather is expected to increase fire activity along the western ridge. Structural task forces will remain available tonight to continue point protection around homes. Resources assigned to the incident include hotshot crews, hand crews, engines, dozers, and water tenders. Aircraft support will remain available but limited due to significant regional fire activity and smoke‑related visibility concerns. Additional resources have been ordered and will continue arriving over the next several days.
Public Safety: The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office has level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation notices in place for communities near these fires. The agency is sharing evacuation information on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WheelerCountySheriffsOffice) and on their Genesys Protect dashboard (https://protect.genasys.com/search).
Closures: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has implemented a closure of all BLM-administered land along both sides of the John Day River, from Service Creek north to the Columbia River. Additional closures may also be implemented for portions of public lands in Crook County in response to wildfires burning east of Prineville. BLM closure information can be found at blm.gov/programs/fire/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions. The National Park Service has closed the Clarno and Painted Hills units of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument to all entry. Details can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/joda/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place for the fire area. Unauthorized drone (UAS) flights pose serious risks to firefighters. Aerial firefighting is suspended when unauthorized UAS are in the area. For TFR information visit: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_4970.
Weather: Overnight, humidity remained low, causing active fire behavior to persist. Today’s weather is expected to remain similar to yesterday, with hot and dry conditions and high temperatures ranging from 90 to 95 degrees. Skies will be mostly clear aside from haze produced by smoke. Wind gusts may reach up to 15 miles per hour; however, the varied terrain around the fires could influence localized wind patterns.
Oregon adds Washington & California fire service resources
The California resources will be assigned according to incident priorities and may support community defense, structure triage, protection of critical infrastructure, and other missions aligned with their qualifications. The task forces from Washington are working alongside Oregon crews in Wheeler County on the Rowe Creek Complex.
The Oregon Department of Forestry, tribal, and federal wildland agencies will continue managing wildland suppression operations within their respective jurisdictions. The Oregon State Fire Marshal resources, including those arriving from California and Washington, are focused on reinforcing local fire service capacity and community protection efforts.
“Oregon, California, and Washington have a long history of helping one another during emergencies,” Ruiz-Temple said. “Oregon firefighters supported California communities in 2025 during the Los Angeles wildfires, and we are grateful that our neighboring states are able to answer Oregon’s request for help.”
The Oregon State Fire Marshal has resources assigned to four conflagrations and one Immediate Response incident. For more information about the agency’s mobilizations and updates, visit https://osfminfo.org.
About the Oregon State Fire Marshal
The Oregon State Fire Marshal became an independent state agency in July 2023. The agency is dedicated to protecting people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials. The OSFM works with local fire agencies, communities, and other partners to strengthen fire prevention, preparedness, and response statewide. Please note: the Oregon State Fire Marshal is no longer an office.
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