The Lone Rock Fire in Gilliam County has grown to an estimated size of more than 5,000 acres after it started in the afternoon of July 13, 2024.
Courtesy of the Oregon State Fire Marshal
People living in a small community of north-central Oregon are asked to be set for evacuation on short notice after a wildfire broke out Saturday afternoon and has rapidly spread since.
Lonerock, home to about 20 residents, is placed under the Level 2 “Be Set” evacuation notices issued by the Gilliam County Sheriff due to the Lone Rock Fire, which has grown to an estimated size of more than 5,000 acres as of Sunday morning, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.
None of the fire has been contained as of Sunday morning. The fire marshal said it has mobilized a task force from Linn County to help local fire agencies. Firefighters from Gilliam County, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Pineville Bureau of Land Management have been fighting the Lone Rock Fire since it started Saturday.
Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said the state is in critical fire danger and urged Oregonians to be aware of dry conditions throughout next week.
“The weather predicted through the next week is extremely concerning, not only with these new starts but with lightning in the forecast. Our resources will continue to be challenged. These fires and the forecast add strain to the system,” Ruiz-Temple said in a news release Sunday.
For Lonerock residents who plan to evacuate now, they are asked to call the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office at 541-351-9530 or 911.
Lillian Karabaic contributed to this story.
This story may be updated.