The McCaffery Fire started Saturday afternoon just east of the Redmond Airport.
Courtesy of Central Oregon Fire Info
A wildfire east of Redmond, Oregon, on Saturday led to evacuations in the Powell Butte area and has led to the temporary closure of the Redmond Airport.
As of 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, the McCaffery Fire was an estimated 250 acres, according to Central Oregon Fire Info, which said in a social media post that “retardant drops have slowed the spread of the fire.”
Level 3 “GO NOW” evacuations was once in place for an area that straddles the Deschutes and Crook County Lines. But at 9:15 p.m., the Crook County Sheriff’s office said on Facebook that “the evacuation level for the area has been dropped to a level 2. People may go home for the night but be ready to evacuate again.”
Level 2 is an evacuation warning, which means there’s a high probability of a need to evacuate. People should be ready to evacuate by packing necessary items and preparing their family, pets and car for potential departure from home.
According to the sheriff’s office, the evacuation zone included the West Powell Butte View Estates. An evacuation shelter has been established at Powell Butte Christian Church. 13720 OR-126, Powell Butte.
As of 8 p.m., OR Highway 126 remained open for traffic, according to ODOT’s TripCheck website.
While the fire itself is not directly impacting the Redmond Airport, the airport was once closed to passenger airline traffic due to the firefighting efforts, according to an announcement on the airport’s website. The airport said on its website that it had reopened to passenger traffic. Passengers should check with their airline for the most up-to-date flight information.