BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Central Oregon Fire Chiefs’ Association works with local, state and federal partners to determine when to collectively open debris burning in the fall. The Oregon Department of Forestry has not officially ended the fire season, they said Thursday, and fire danger is still considered moderate. With another historic fire season
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Despite the rain showers and cooler weather today, debris burning is still closed throughout Central Oregon, a Bend Fire & Rescue official said Wednesday, while the US Bureau of Land Management extended campfire restrictions on several Central Oregon rivers and lakes. “Central Oregon fire agencies are closely monitoring the weather to
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District announced it will terminate regulated-use closure at 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, but added that fire season remains in effect across the district. “We caution the public to be mindful of activities which could start a fire, as we continue to slowly ease into winter. Periods
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — With continued success of firefighting operations on the week-old Pine Fire and improved weather conditions, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday it is dropping all evacuation levels on and around Pine Mountain and returning the area to normal status, effective immediately. “Please continue to avoid the fire area and abide
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Halloween is less than three weeks away, and there are still hundreds of firefighters working to finish containment of wildfires burning around the region and state. The over month-old Little Lava Fire 15 miles southwest of Bend has been more accurately mapped at 14,857 acres, officials said in a Saturday update.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Effective immediately, the Deschutes National Forest has updated and increased the temporary emergency fire closure area on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District for the Bachelor Complex. The expansion of the closure area is due to continued fire activity on the Little Lava Fire as hot and dry conditions persist and incursions into
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Firefighters on the ground helped by air support have established a bulldozer line around the Pine Fire, which mapping Tuesday determined burned 6,537 acres and by Wednesday had reached 50% containment, officials said.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued another air quality advisory Wednesday for Deschutes County due to smoke from new and older wildfires still burning around the region. DEQ said expects the air quality advisory to last until at least Thursday evening. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke
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The Bachelor Complex of fires, primarily the Little Lava Fire, grew some over the weekend, totaling 12,536 acres, but containment also grew to 68% by the 70 personnel on the lines, despite the recent warm and windy conditions at times.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – All of the containment and control lines on the Little Lava Fire held in Friday’s strong winds and the Bachelor Complex is now nearly two-thirds contained, Deschutes National Forest officials said Saturday. The 12,120-acre group of fires sparked by lightning nearly a month ago has burned 12,120 acres and is 63%
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A combination of weeks-old and newer fires continue to keep fire crews busy around the region as dry conditions linger. Jaimie Olle, a public affairs specialist with the Deschutes National Forest, said Thursday that along with mopping up hot spots and patrolling the perimeter, as well as felling hazard trees and
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SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Due to the lack of significant rainfall and continued warm temperatures, open burning within the Black Butte Ranch, Cloverdale and Sisters-Camp Sherman fire districts remains closed as of Thursday, officials reminded. Central Oregon fire chiefs and partner agencies will meet again in mid-October to re-evaluate conditions and may open burning towards
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Wednesday for Deschutes County due to smoke from wildfires in the region. The La Pine area saw air quality plunge to the very unhealthy levels Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, improving later in the day, as did some Bend-area readings
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A small brush fire was reported last week at a dispersed campsite on the Deschutes National Forest in Sisters by a neighboring camper who used two extinguishers provided by the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District to slow its spread before fire crews arrived.
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The McKenzie Pass Highway (Oregon Highway 240) west of Sisters reopened over the weekend, three weeks after wildfires in the area prompted its closure. It’s another sign of firefighters’ continued progress on the area’s blazes, despite warm weather lingering into the fall and other challenges.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Bachelor Complex, including the Little Lava Fire, held at 50% containment this weekend, with no change in acreage reported, while the Red Fire near Crescent Lake has grown to over 2,000 acres but still 11% contained officials said Sunday. The complex consists of about 30 fires sparked by lightning Sept.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Central Oregon has seen about 325 wildfires this year that have burned over 550,000 acres, the region’s fire officials said Saturday – and fire season isn’t over, as two fires, each stopped at about two acres near Tumalo and Madras, made clear. Saturday’s first blaze was a brush fire reported around
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Effective immediately, the Deschutes National Forest has updated and decreased the temporary emergency fire closure area on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District for the Flat Top and Firestone Fires due to increased containment and decreased fire activity. The Flat Top Fire is currently 45,951 acres and 91% contained. The Firestone Fire
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Update: Emergency closure area reduced) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Crews were pulled off the Little Lava Fire on Wednesday before a windy cold front moved through, bringing safety risks, more smoke and 40 mph wind gusts that downed trees, but little growth was seen, officials said Thursday. With containment at 50%, Forest Service Road 40
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Legislators on the Joint Emergency Board provided more than $103 million to state agencies on Wednesday to address fighting wildfires and other urgent issues of health and safety across the state. Amid a historic wildfire season, legislators allocated $20 million in new funds and released $27.5 million in previously allotted special-purpose
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