‘Particularly dangerous weather’: Round Butte Fire quickly reaches 1,039 acres in Jefferson County
(Update: adding comments from fire official, updates, and video)
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Round Butte Fire is one of the newest of several significant wildfires burning across Central Oregon, but the threat isn’t always obvious from the sky.
Even with relatively clear conditions in town, firefighters say the same winds helping push smoke away can also drive flames quickly across dry fuels.
The Round Butte Fire started Saturday afternoon in Culver, located in Jefferson County, during a particularly dangerous weather period marked by gusty winds, low humidity, and critically dry vegetation after a winter with limited precipitation.
According to Central Oregon Fire Information, the fire began on the south side of Round Butte and was burning in grass, brush, and juniper about five miles west of Madras, with firefighters supported by engines, hotshot crews, dozers, and aerial resources.
Jaimie Olle, public information officer with Central Oregon Fire Information, said crews were able to limit the fire’s spread early thanks to quick response and air support.
“We were under a particularly dangerous weather event with high gusty winds and dry fuels, but thankfully firefighters were able to arrive quickly on scene and get some additional aviation resources that really helped to stop some of the fire spread," Olle told KTVZ News.
The Round Butte Fire quickly grew to 1,039 acres by late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office issued Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation notices for the area.
Firefighters have built a control line and are now strengthening it, while helicopters continue cooling hot spots. Central Oregon Fire Information said aerial resources, including air attack, tankers, and helicopters, helped slow the fire’s spread on Saturday.
As of Sunday at 6:00p.m., they've reached 7% containment with crews focusing on strengthening control lines and knocking down hot spots.
Currently, Round Butte is the smallest of several major wildfires burning across Central Oregon. The Bench Fire has burned more than 67,000 acres near Warm Springs, the Akawa Butte Fire has burned more than 27,000 acres near Sisters, and the Rowe Creek Complex has burned more than 300,000 acres.
Across Oregon, more than 1.7 million acres have already burned this year, putting the state within reach of the record set in 2024.
Jaimie Olle said the winter’s lack of moisture has left fuels primed for faster fire growth as long as hot, windy weather continues.
“We didn’t have a very extensive winter, so things are really dry out there. Any kind of heat or wind that we do see on top of that, it really does escalate fire behavior and activity. We’ll continue to see those elevated fire behaviors probably moving through August and September," Olle said.
Officials are urging residents to stay alert as fire season shows no sign of slowing. Firefighters say they are working to hold the ground they have gained while remaining ready for any new starts.
Central Oregon Fire Information also reminded the public not to fly personal drones near the fire because they can interfere with firefighting aircraft.
Earlier Story -- BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Round Butte Fire has burned 1,039 acres near Madras and remains at 0% containment as of Sunday. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has issued Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations for the area.
According to Central Oregon Fire, the fire ignited Saturday afternoon on the south side of Round Butte and spread east through grass, brush and juniper. Despite breezy and dry conditions associated with a Particularly Dangerous Weather situation, firefighters and aerial resources successfully slowed the fire's progress by Saturday evening.
The fire is burning on a combination of the Crooked River National Grassland and private land. The Central Oregon Type 3 team is managing the response in coordination with Jefferson County Fire and EMS and the Oregon State Fire Marshal. Mapping from an overnight infrared flight confirmed the fire has reached 1,039 acres.
Firefighters worked through the night to build initial control lines around the perimeter of the fire. On Sunday, resources are focused on strengthening those lines and cooling down hot spots to secure the fire within its current footprint. Helicopters are supporting ground crews by providing bucket drops of water on pockets of heat.
Authorities issued a warning to the public regarding the use of personal drones near the fire. Flying drones poses a safety risk to responding aircraft and firefighters and impacts the ability of teams to effectively respond to the incident.
