We’ve reached mid-July with dry conditions and excessive heat throughout the Pacific Northwest. So far this summer, wildfires have burned tens of thousands of acres in Oregon.
An undated image shared on July 14, 2024, by Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office showing crews working to stop the Lone Rock Fire, burning in North Central Oregon.
Courtesy of Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office
Between the start of fire season in June and late last week, the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon and Washington has recorded 100 human-caused fires.
“We’re entering a very dangerous time period in the Pacific Northwest wildfire season,” said Ed Hiatt, USFS Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations, in a statement. “Mother Nature turned on the oven for a week in local forests and now we’re preparing for the potential of dry lightning and gusty winds across much of eastern Oregon.”
As fire crews tackle putting out these preventable fires, extremely hot and dry conditions are significantly ramping up fire danger across the region.
Here are five of the largest fires currently burning in Oregon as of Monday morning.
Northwest Oregon: Larch Creek Fire
- When it started: July 9
- How many acres it’s burned: 18,684
- Containment: 11%
- County: Wasco
- Cause: Human
- More information from Inciweb
North-central Oregon: Lone Rock Fire
- When it started: July 13
- How many acres it’s burned: 50,000
- Containment: 0%
- County: Morrow
- Cause: Under investigation
- More information from Northwest Coordination Center
Eastern Oregon: Cow Valley Fire
- When it started: July 11
- How many acres it’s burned: 132,528
- Containment: 0%
- County: Harney
- Cause: Human, under investigation
- More information from Inciweb
Eastern Oregon: Falls Fire
- When it started: July 10
- How many acres it’s burned: 64,225
- Containment: 0%
- County: Harney
- Cause: Human
- More information from Inciweb
Southern Oregon: Salt Creek Fire
- When it started: July 7
- How many acres it’s burned: 4,081
- Containment: 41%
- County: Jackson
- Cause: Human
- More information from Inciweb
The Oregon Office of Emergency Management reported as of Monday that about 5,000 people in Oregon were under some sort of evacuation order.
Fire and emergency officials urge resident to check the current evacuation levels and to understand what they mean. They also urge people, no matter the evacuation level, to leave immediately if they feel unsafe.
More: How to tighten up your emergency plan
As the threat of large wildfires increases across the state, Oregonians should also expect degraded air quality.
The latest air quality updates are available at the Oregon Smoke Information blog. The Department of Environmental Quality posts advisories there throughout wildfire season. Updates in Spanish are available at Oregonhumo.org.
More: How to prepare for wildfire smoke
An undated, supplied image shared on July 13, 2024 shows fire engines working along Forest Service Road 43 as they battle the Falls Fire, burning north of Burns, Ore.
Courtesy of InciWeb