Smoky and hot weekend as several wildfires burn in the area

Bend, Ore (KTVZ) – Several wildfires are being attacked aggressively as dozens of new wildfires were started by the lightning strikes Wednesday evening.  Several fires are now over 1000 acres and continue to grow. The dry air and the dry fuel on the ground needed very little to get a fire going, and this week’s storms provided the energy.  

The forecast for the weekend is not too favorable for fire suppression as the region will be hot, breezy and dry. The good news is that the winds will not be overly robust, but they are still present. If you are out and about this weekend, be aware that many of your favorite camping spots may be impacted by wildfires.

The air quality issues will be a concern moving through the weekend as well.  In eastern Oregon an Air Quality Alert has been issued by the Department of Environmental Quality through noon Monday. Wheeler, Grant, Harney, Lake, Klamath and Malheur Counties are included in the alert. Air quality indexes will be unhealthy most of the weekend.  Central Oregon counties of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson are not included at this time, but as conditions deteriorate over time that may be revisited by the DEQ.

Today will be mostly sunny and hot with highs reaching the low 90s.  The winds will be light and variable, but shift to a more northerly flow late in the day pushing the smoke to the south. Winds will change direction periodically, as usual, so this may change the air quality rapidly. Stay alert and prepare for the smoke anyway.

Sunday will be slightly hotter than Saturday with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Winds, once again, will be noticeable but not overwhelming.

Monday is expected to be partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance for a shower. The rain will be light and mainly east, but the clouds will be present in the afternoon. Highs remain above 90° even with the cloud cover.

Tuesday through the end of the work week will be hot and dry with highs in the middle 90s and mostly sunny.

Friday night Fire Wrap, a video wrap up of all the active fires and the acreage burned as of 11pm Friday.

Stay hydrated and prepare for poor air quality over the weekend.

Please, Stay safe and smart.

Don’t forget to download the Local Alert Weather App to stay connected with our team of meteorologists. 

You can get access to LIVE radar and receive urgent weather alerts so you’re always prepared.