As reported by Central Oregon Daily News, a wildfire ignited Sunday night northwest of Madras after lightning strikes and strong winds swept through the area. By Monday morning, the blaze had expanded to 3,000 acres, prompting Level 3 "Go Now" evacuations in certain areas.
Governor Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the Elk Lane Fire, situated approximately seven miles northwest of Madras. This declaration empowers the Oregon fire marshal to deploy state resources to combat the wildfire and safeguard lives and property.
The Central Oregon Fire Management Service reported that the fire had spread into the Deschutes River Canyon but remained confined to the east side of the river. There are structures at risk in the vicinity.
Evacuation orders have been issued for areas west of Madras and Metolius. A map of the evacuations can be found at the provided link:
- NW 10 - Level 3 "Go Now."
- SW 17 - Level 3 "Go Now"
- SW 16 - Level 2 "Be Set"
- NW 9 - Level 2 "Be Set." This is a cautionary level. It is headed towards Lake Simtustus at the moment.
- NW 13 - Level 1: "Be Ready"
Pelton Park is closed until further notice, according to a Portland General Electric spokesman. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has shut down Belmont Lane from the PGE gates to SW Columbia and residents are advised to avoid Mountain View Drive for fire equipment access.
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The Jefferson County Fairgrounds is serving as a temporary evacuation site, with the Red Cross on scene assisting.
Two task forces from Lincoln and Polk counties, pre-positioned in Central Oregon over the weekend, have assisted local agencies with structure protection, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office.
"Pre-positioning these resources has been an extremely valuable tool as our agency focuses on being proactive in keeping fires small and away from communities," Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a statement.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office has mobilized its Red Incident Management Team and three additional structural task forces, with more resources on the way.
Central Oregon Fire Info reported that interagency resources were responding to approximately 13 smoke reports across the High Desert Sunday after passing thunderstorms, including:
- Bennett Fire: About 400 acres, located roughly 5 miles northeast of Antelope, with crews making good progress overnight.
- Wildhorse Fire: About 60 acres as of Sunday night, situated about 10 miles south of Spray in very challenging terrain.
Pacific Power reported about 650 outages remaining Monday morning, with as many as 3,000 customers without power Sunday night.
