Smoke rises from the Darlene 3 Fire near La Pine, Ore., Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Courtesy of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via Facebook
A wildfire in central Oregon grew overnight and more than a thousand structures near the blaze were determined to be in evacuation zones.
The Darlene 3 Fire broke out around 2 p.m. Tuesday on the southeast outskirts of La Pine near Darlene Way. The blaze had grown to around 2,415 acres as of 6 a.m. Wednesday and was 30% contained. The wildfire prompted evacuations Tuesday afternoon in La Pine, causing Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to invoke the Emergency Conflagration Act.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized its incident team to battle the fire with the help of two structural task forces from Linn and Marion counties. Four additional task forces are expected to arrive Wednesday. Kotek’s order empowers the fire marshal to use resources through the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System to support local fire service agencies on the scene.
“This fire has quickly grown within the last few hours, pushed by gusty winds and high fire conditions. The Emergency Conflagration Act allows us to send the full power of the Oregon fire service to protect life and property,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “As we enter the hot and dry summer months, I am asking Oregonians to do everything they can to prevent wildfires.”
Tuesday evening, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office updated its evacuation orders. There are Level 3 “GO NOW” evacuation notices in effect for areas east of Highway 97, south of Drafter Road, and south of Bassett Drive to Highway 31. The sheriff’s web ite indicates a Level 2 “BE SET” evacuation is in place for the area east of Highway 97 to the train tracks, from Reed Road south to Bassett Drive.
The fire, initially called the Darlene 3 Fire, is also being called the Darlene Way Fire in some official communications. As of Wednesday morning the Darlene Way Fire was threatening 490 structures under Level 3 evacuation and 630 structures under Level 2 evacuation, according to Deschutes County Sheriff Sgt. Nathan Garibay.
A temporary evacuation shelter has been set up at La Pine High School. Red Cross Cascades Region Communications Director Rebecca Marshall said 25 people used the shelter on Tuesday night.
“We are handling their needs, so we don’t need donations at this time,” Marshall said in an email. “However, if people want to help, they can make a financial contribution at RedCross.org.”
The La Pine Rodeo Grounds have also opened their doors for those seeking shelter with large livestock and pets.
For up-to-date information on the fire and evacuations visit the Deschutes County emergency information website.
