Wind-driven Oregon wildfires top 1 million acres as homes burn, thousands flee

Wind-driven wildfires burned across central Oregon, where firefighters worked to contain fast-moving flames threatening nearby communities.

More than 34 large wildfires were burning across Oregon Monday after fast-moving flames destroyed homes, forced thousands to evacuate and pushed the season’s burned area past 1.3 million acres.

The Bench and Beachcomb fires merged over the weekend and are now being managed as the Bench Fire, which had grown to 40,296 acres near the Warm Springs Reservation in Central Oregon with no containment. Stronger winds Sunday fueled extreme fire behavior, with officials confirming the loss of six homes and five outbuildings. The fire crossed roads and the Deschutes River, creating three potential fronts threatening the Warm Springs community. “Go Now” evacuation orders remained in effect for several areas.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act after the fires produced wind-driven runs and long-range spotting, allowing the state to send additional personnel and equipment to protect communities. Highway 26 was repeatedly affected by closures over the weekend near Warm Springs due to the Bench Fire, and transportation officials warned that rapidly changing fire conditions could continue disrupting travel.

"I have never seen anything like this in my five years of working on fires," Kara Madison, who works on wildfires, told Central Oregon Daily.

Near Sisters, the Akawa Butte Fire had burned more than 27,000 acres and was only about 5% to 6% contained. The lightning-caused blaze destroyed two homes and became the nation’s highest-priority wildfire because of its proximity to populated areas. With nearby fires and evacuation notices still in effect, the city of Sisters asked travelers to postpone visits, though many restaurants, shops, theaters and museums remained open for people already in the area.

Farther east, some of Oregon’s largest fires continued burning across broad areas of the state. The Rowe Creek Complex had surpassed 209,000 acres near Antelope and Twickenham where firefighters are focused on protecting communities, while the Hay Creek Complex had burned more than 181,000 acres around Condon, Arlington and Shaniko. The Coleman Creek Fire east of Burns had grown to about 131,000 acres.

Historically low winter snowpack helped dry vegetation weeks earlier than usual, leaving Oregon with what officials have described as August-like fire conditions in July. The sheer number of incidents is also stretching resources, forcing fire managers to prioritize which blazes receive available crews and equipment, an Oregon Department of Forestry spokesperson told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Smoke prompted an air quality advisory through at least Monday afternoon for Baker, Crook, Grant, Jefferson, Union, Wallowa and Wheeler counties. Remember that smoke conditions can change quickly as winds shift, so be sure to check air quality conditions for your area by typing your location into AccuWeather.com

Oregon may get little relief from the weather pattern that helped fuel the current outbreak. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said a storm well off the British Columbia coast will send waves of energy into the Northwest later this week, helping trigger thunderstorms. “Where little or no rain falls, lightning strikes from them can spark new fires,” he said.

While the main storm may bring meaningful rain to parts of British Columbia this weekend, little moisture is expected farther south, leaving Oregon and the broader Northwest vulnerable to more dry thunderstorms and additional fire starts.

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