FIRE ALERT: Urgent Evacuations Underway in Wheeler County

KTVZ News has learned evacuations are underway in Wheeler County due to multiple wildfires.

From Central Oregon Fire:

Central Oregon —  The Central Oregon Type 3 Team took command of the Rowe Creek Complex yesterday at 6 p.m. The Complex includes approximately seven fires including Crosswhite, Camel Hump, Red Rock and Twickenham Fires that ignited when a lightning storm passed over the Twickenham area on Wednesday, July 15.

Firefighters worked through the night protecting homes along Rowe Creek Road. With limited resources on scene, efforts are primarily focused on protecting homes and other key infrastructure until additional resources arrive. Wind, high temperatures and steep terrain challenged the efforts, with similar conditions expected today. The fires are burning in a mix of light, grassy fuels with heavy pockets of juniper and timber. The area received little rain with the thunderstorm and conditions remain very dry.

Federal and contracted resources will continue to be assisted by the Twickenham Rural Fire Protection Association and Wheeler County Fire and Rescue. A structure group from the Oregon State Fire Marshall is also on scene assisting with home protection. A complex incident management team has been ordered and is expected to arrive today to take command of this group of fires on Saturday.

Due to the large number of significant wildfires in Wheeler, Gilliam, Sherman and Jefferson counties, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to implement a closure of public land today that will cover all BLM-administered land along both sides of the John Day River, from Service Creek north to the Columbia River. This closure is expected to go into effect by noon today. Additional closures may also be implemented for portions of public lands in Crook County in response to wildfires burning east of Prineville. BLM closure information can be found at blm.gov/programs/fire/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions.

Firefighters are stretched thin responding to the significant number of wildfires burning across five counties in Central Oregon. Visitors and residents are asked to take extreme care as resources are needed to respond to these fires instead of new human-caused ignitions. Fire restrictions are in place around Central Oregon and campfires are not allowed in most areas. Know before you go – call ahead and find out the restrictions for any area you plan to visit.

Visit the official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire. For smoke and air quality information visit fire.airnow.gov.