A planned fuel reduction burn southeast of Bend took a dangerous turn Thursday after flames crossed containment lines and sparked spot fires outside the intended burn area, prompting officials to reclassify the incident as a wildfire.
What began as a prescribed burn near Pine Mountain is now being managed as the Pine Mountain Fire, with crews scrambling to contain the blaze as it continues to grow in Central Oregon.
The operation was originally planned as a 2,008-acre prescribed burn roughly 14 miles southeast of Bend. Ignitions first began Tuesday and continued into Wednesday as part of ongoing forest management efforts aimed at reducing wildfire risk in the area.
But conditions shifted Thursday afternoon.
According to Central Oregon Fire Management Service, officials halted any additional ignitions that day after weather conditions became less favorable. Despite forecasts reportedly remaining within the approved prescription range, firefighters began seeing multiple spot fires ignite beyond the established perimeter.
Around 4 p.m. Thursday, the incident was officially declared a wildfire.
The fire has since grown to an estimated 1,500 acres, and additional firefighting resources have been ordered in response. Crews on the ground are now being supported by aircraft, engines, and more hotshot teams as containment efforts intensify.
In a public update, COFMS emphasized that rapidly declaring the incident a wildfire allows agencies to bring in more personnel and equipment as quickly as possible.
“Forest Service firefighters are trained to act quickly and proactively when conditions change,” the agency stated, noting that making the call early helps strengthen suppression efforts before a fire becomes more difficult to manage.
As smoke rose over the Pine Mountain area Thursday evening, unofficial reports suggested the fire may have expanded even further. Wildfire tracking app Watch Duty cited preliminary data from the National Interagency Fire Center estimating the blaze at more than 2,800 acres late Thursday night. However, officials cautioned that those figures had not yet been confirmed.
The incident serves as another reminder of how quickly conditions can shift during prescribed burns, even under carefully monitored circumstances. Central Oregon has already seen active fire behavior this season as warm temperatures, dry fuels, and gusty winds continue to create challenging conditions for fire crews across the region.
