Oregon’s 2024 wildfire season intensified rapidly in mid-July due to several lightning strikes across the state. Here are the latest updates on major wildfires:
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon’s wildfire season got off to a relatively mild start in early July with just a few fires burning across the state, but conditions quickly worsened by the middle of the month. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, a series of thunderstorms produced more than 2,000 lightning strikes across the state, and high winds and dry weather helped the fires spread.
There are currently nearly a dozen large wildfires burning in Oregon, along with many smaller ones. Governor Tina Kotek issued a state of emergency on July 12, allowing Oregon firefighting agencies to receive assistance from outside the state, and she has also issued fire emergency declarations for several wildfires, allowing more resources to be mobilized.
Details of all major wildfires currently burning in Oregon are listed below, with details being updated continuously. Fires that are more than 90% contained are not listed. Information on fire area and percent contained is approximate.
The figures below are current as of July 22, 2024 unless otherwise noted.
Location: Wasco County, approximately 60 miles south of The Dalles, just east of Mt. Hood National Forest. Size: 18,286 acres as of July 19. Cause: Believed human-caused, currently under investigation. Started: July 9. Containment: 81% as of July 19. Closures: None as of July 22. Evacuations: None as of July 22. More information: Visit the Larch Creek Fire information page on Facebook or the Larch Creek Fire entry on Inciweb. Location: Harney County, approximately 15 miles northwest of Burns, in Malheur National Forest. Size: 132,751 acres. Cause: Believed human-caused, currently under investigation. Started: July 10. Containment: 40%. CLOSED: Most of the southwestern part of Malheur National Forest is closed, including about a dozen campgrounds. Evacuations: Evacuation orders have been issued for Grant and Harney Counties. Harney County has an interactive map of evacuation zones. More information: Visit the Falls Fire information page on Facebook or visit the Falls Fire entry on Inciweb. Location: Southeast corner of Gilliam County, straddling Morrow and Wheeler counties. Size: 124,556 acres. Cause: Unknown, under investigation. Started: July 13. Containment: 40%. CLOSED: Portions of Umatilla National Forest in the northwest are closed. Evacuations: Level 3 evacuations have been issued for homes south of Lone Rock in Gilliam County and Level 2 evacuations have been issued for homes north of Lone Rock. Additional Level 3 and Level 2 evacuation orders have been issued for Wheeler County and an additional Level 3 evacuation order has been issued for Morrow County. More information: Visit the Gilliam, Wheeler and Morrow County Sheriff’s Office Facebook pages, the Central Oregon Fire Info website or the Lone Rock Fire entry on Inciweb. Location: Malheur County in northwestern Ontario, approximately 30 miles from the Darke Fire. Size: 133,490 acres. Cause: Believed to be human-caused and suspicious in nature. Started: July 11. Containment: 78%. Closures: No active closures. Evacuations: All evacuation orders for the Cow Valley Fire have been lifted. More information: Visit the Cow Valley Fire Info page on Facebook or the Cow Valley Fire entry on Inciweb. Location: Baker County in northwestern Ontario, approximately 30 miles from the Cow Valley Fire. Size: 173,759 acres. Cause: Lightning. Started: July 17. Containment: 0%. Closures: Part of Burnt River Canyon Road is closed to non-local and non-emergency traffic. Evacuations: Level 3 evacuations have been issued for parts of Malheur and Baker counties around the fire. More information: Visit the Malheur and Baker County Sheriff’s Office Facebook pages or visit the Durkee Fire entry on Inciweb.
Pilot Rock/Juniper Canyon Fire
Location: Umatilla County, near Pilot Rock. Size: 19,000 acres as of July 18. Cause: No information yet reported on the cause of the fire. Started: July 17. Containment: No information yet reported on containment. Closures: None as of July 22. Evacuations: None as of July 22. More information: Visit the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Battle Mountain Complex (North Fork Owens Fire, Snake Fire, Monkey Creek Fire).
Location: Umatilla County near Ukiah, stretching into Grant and Morrow counties. Area: 6,408 acres. Cause: Lightning. Started: July 17. Containment: 0% (total), 10% (North Fork Owens Fire only). Closures: Highway 395 near Ukiah south of Pilot Rock is closed with limited access. Evacuations: Level 3 evacuations are in effect west of Highway 395 between Ukiah and Dale, and Level 2 evacuations are in effect for the entire city of Ukiah. More information: Visit the Ukiah County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or Inciweb’s Battle Mountain Complex entry. Location: Grant County, 10 miles north of Monument, stretching into Morrow County. Area: 14,602 acres. Cause: Lightning. Started: July 17. Closures: Bureau of Land Management lands around the fire are closed to the public. Highway 395 south of Pilot Rock near Ukiah is closed with limited access. Evacuations: Level 3 and Level 2 evacuations are in effect. Details: See Inciweb entry for the Boneyard Fire. Location: Lane County, approximately halfway between Eugene and Bend. Size: 645 acres. Cause: Under investigation. Started: July 17. Closures: Willamette National Forest is closed around the fire. Evacuations: None as of July 22. Details: See Inciweb entry for the Ore Fire. Location: Linn County, Willamette National Forest. Size: 535 acres. Cause: Lightning. Started: July 17. Closures: 0%. Closures: Willamette National Forest is closed around the fire. Evacuation: Level 3 evacuation orders are in effect within the closed area. Linn County is maintaining an evacuation map. More information: Visit the Linn County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or the Pyramid Fire entry on Inciweb.
Diamond Complex (12 Fire)
Location: Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County. Size: 2,816 acres (12 total fires). Cause: Lightning. Started: July 16. Fire containment: 7 fires 0% contained, 1 5%, 1 25%, 1 65%, 2 90% contained. Closures: Umpqua National Forest surrounding the fires is closed. Evacuations: Level 3 and Level 2 evacuations have been issued for portions of the Diamond Complex fire. Linn County maintains an evacuation map. More information: Visit the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or the Diamond Complex entry on Inciweb.
Homestead Complex (6 fires)
Location: Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County. Size: 1,000 acres (six fires combined). Cause: Lightning. Started: July 16. Containment: 0% (at least one fire nearly contained, most others 0%). Closures: Umpqua National Forest surrounding the fires is closed. Evacuations: None as of July 22. More information: See the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or the Homestead Complex entry on Inciweb. Location: Lane County, 15 miles southeast of Springfield. Size: 768 acres. Cause: Lightning. Started: July 17. Containment: 10%. Closures: None. Evacuations: None as of July 22. More information: See the Lane 1 Fire entry on Inciweb. Location: 20 miles southwest of La Pine, Klamath County. Size: 256 acres. Cause: Lightning. Started: July 17. Containment: 0%. Closures: None. Evacuations: Level 1 evacuations for Crescent Lake, Odell Lake and Crescent Junction. More information: See the Red Fire entry on Inciweb.
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