One of Oregon's two largest wildfires has continued to grow.
Temperatures over the Labor Day weekend in the Willamette Valley and central Oregon are expected to be in the upper to mid 80s, and some areas could see low 90s on Aug. 29.
Emigrant Fire in Willamette National Forest grows to 9,054 acres, 0% contained
The lightning-caused Emigrant Fire in Willamette National Forest that sparked on Aug. 24 continues to burn 20 miles southeast of Oakridge.
The fire has grown to 9,054 acres, up from 7,400 acres on Aug. 27, and was 0% contained as of Aug. 28.
The fire was rapidly moving uphill to the west and east through dry fuels and slowly moving downhill toward Forest Road 21, an Aug. 28 update said.
Dry thunderstorms were unlikely for Aug. 28, but high temperatures and low humidity will continue to influence active fire behavior.
Crews are working to extinguish spot fires from the embers carried by the large plume of smoke from the blaze.
“Personnel and aircraft are watching for new ignitions, particularly any beyond the planned control lines. Locating and extinguishing spot fires is a priority for firefighters,” the update said.
Personnel were also making progress on a 3-acre fire north of Forest Road 21. They were mopping up the fire and searching and extinguishing any other hot areas.
A public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Aug. 29 in the main auditorium at Oakridge Junior/Senior High School, 47997 W First St. in Oakridge.
A large recreational closure was ordered Aug. 27 for the fire and includes multiple sites along Forest Road 21, including campgrounds and trails along the Middle Fork Willamette all the way to the Timpanogas Campground area and trails. The Pacific Crest Trail in the area does not appear to be closed.
A closure order for the fire can be found at bit.ly/420himp
Fire restrictions for Willamette National Forest can be found at fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/fire
Flat Fire in central Oregon holds at 23,380 acres
The Flat Fire burning 2 miles northeast of Sisters is estimated at 23,380 acres, 7% contained and showed little growth as of Aug. 28.
Fire crews were bracing for hot, dry and windy conditions under a red flag warning that is in place for the area through Aug. 29, according to an update.
Winds coming from the west were set to create hotter, drier and more challenging conditions for the afternoon of Aug. 28.
“In anticipation of this expected wind shift, additional resources have been moved to the south and southeastern perimeter. Structural and wildland crews are in position, ready to defend homes and at-risk areas,” the update said.
Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations for Jefferson and Deschutes counties still remain in effect. An evacuation map can be found at bit.ly/45TvPRX
A 24-hour evacuation shelter has been set up by the Red Cross at Highland Baptist Church located at 3100 SW Highland Ave. in Redmond. Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Madras and Kerley Horse Center in Powell Butte are available for large animals.
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office is managing local road closures. These roads include:
Wilt Road is open from Camp Polk to Buffalo Drive
Wilt Road is closed at Buffalo Drive
Mountain View Drive is closed beyond the 17700 block
Panoramic Drive is closed at Camp Polk Road
Goodrich Road closed north of Hwy 126
Holmes Road closed north of Fadjur Lane
For U.S. Forest Service road closures, go to fs.usda.gov/r06/deschutes/alerts
For BLM closures, go to bit.ly/4fWG9xn
Mariah Johnston is an outdoors journalism intern at the Statesman Journal. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon wildfire updates: Emigrant Fire grows, Flat Fire holds
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