Wildfire conditions around Mount Hood intensified again Tuesday as the massive Grasshopper Fire pushed farther across the landscape, evacuation levels expanded near Dufur and Tygh Valley, and a second growing fire south of Mount Hood prompted Level 3 evacuation orders in Clackamas County.

One of the most visible impacts came from Mt. Hood Meadows, which announced Tuesday that it is closing for the remainder of its summer season because of the Grasshopper Fire, a Level 3 evacuation order and an ongoing U.S. Forest Service closure.

Meanwhile, the Grasshopper Fire has now grown to approximately 77,311 acres and is 20 percent contained, according to Tuesday morning's update. That's an increase of more than 13,000 acres from Monday evening, when the fire was reported at 63,659 acres and 23 percent contained. About 1,680 personnel are assigned to the incident.

Strong winds pushed the fire northeast overnight, resulting in significant growth and increasing concern for communities on the eastern side of the fire. Firefighters continue working around homes and other structures near Friend, Kingsley and surrounding areas while strengthening containment and contingency lines.

Evacuations Expand Near Dufur and Tygh Valley

The fire's rapid growth brought another round of evacuation changes late Monday and Tuesday.

The City of Dufur remains under a Level 2 "Be Set" evacuation notice, along with areas including Fargher Road, Tygh Ridge Road, Hulse Road and Pine Hollow Road.

Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders were issued for several areas closer to the advancing fire, including Sportsmans Paradise, Shell Rock Road, South Valley Road, Wolf Run Road, Ward Mill Road, Rail Hollow, Hix Road, Friends, J Hix and Dufur Gap Road.

Conditions continued changing Tuesday afternoon. At about 12:45 p.m., the Wasco County Sheriff's Office upgraded Tygh Valley to Level 2 "Be Set." Level 1 "Be Ready" notices were also issued for Conroy Road, White River Falls, Highline Ditch, Sherars Bridge and the Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area.

Evacuation notices ranging from Level 1 to Level 3 are now in effect across portions of Wasco, Hood River and Clackamas counties. Officials are urging residents to rely on county evacuation maps rather than older social media posts because boundaries can change quickly as the fire moves.

An evacuation shelter is available at 1100 W. 12th Street in The Dalles for people displaced by the fire.

Mt. Hood Meadows Closes for the Rest of Summer

The Grasshopper Fire is also bringing an early end to summer operations at one of Oregon's best-known mountain resorts.

Mt. Hood Meadows announced Tuesday that it will remain closed for the rest of the summer after being heavily impacted by the fire. The resort remains under a Level 3 evacuation and is within an area affected by the U.S. Forest Service fire closure.

All Meadows-organized summer events have been canceled.

The resort said it still hopes to accommodate previously scheduled private events, including weddings, if fire conditions and related closures allow. Couples with upcoming events are receiving daily updates as their event dates approach.

Meadows said the decision was made with the safety of employees and guests in mind, even as there have been some encouraging developments around the resort.

According to the resort's Tuesday update, the Grasshopper Fire has been moving away from Meadows. The resort also reported that Highway 35 had reopened during evening hours, although Meadows continues to recommend using alternate routes because firefighters and equipment are still working alongside the highway.

The resort's current mountain conditions page continues to list Meadows as closed under a Level 3 evacuation and asks the public to stay away so firefighters can work in the area.

The U.S. Forest Service also continues to maintain a substantial Grasshopper Fire closure across portions of the Barlow and Hood River ranger districts. The closure includes numerous forest roads, campgrounds and trails around the fire area and remains in effect unless officials update or rescind the order.

Meadows said it now hopes to welcome visitors back once winter arrives.

Highway 35 Access Continues to Change

Travel around the east side of Mount Hood has been particularly complicated because of firefighting operations along Highway 35.

ODOT closed Highway 35 Tuesday morning between its junction with Highway 26, about two miles east of Government Camp, and Hood River so crews could remove hazardous trees and conduct fire operations along the highway.

Later Tuesday, Mt. Hood Meadows reported that Highway 35 had reopened during evening hours. Because access has changed repeatedly throughout the fire, travelers should check current road conditions before heading toward Mount Hood rather than relying on an earlier closure notice.

Highway 35 itself has been an important part of the firefighting strategy. Crews have been working to hold the western edge of the Grasshopper Fire near the highway while removing hazardous trees and strengthening fireline.

Crews Work to Protect Communities East of the Fire

Although the Grasshopper Fire grew dramatically overnight, firefighters have made progress along other portions of the perimeter.

Much of the southern and eastern sides of the fire have been secured, according to Tuesday's update, although activity remains near Boulder Creek on the southwest corner. On the north side, crews are attempting to keep the fire south of Forest Road 4421.

Aircraft, ground crews and heavy equipment are being used to strengthen both primary and backup containment lines as firefighters contend with dry vegetation, wind and difficult terrain.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal's Blue Incident Management Team arrived Monday along with additional task forces and joined California Interagency Incident Management Team 6 in unified command. State resources have been concentrating on protecting communities including Friend, Sportsmans Paradise and Camp Baldwin.

Southern Area Team 2 is scheduled to assume command of the Grasshopper Fire Wednesday morning as the response continues to grow in size and complexity.

The lightning-caused Grasshopper Fire began July 23 and has since grown into one of Oregon's major fires of the 2026 wildfire season.

Austin Fire Surges to About 710 Acres

While crews battle the Grasshopper Fire east of Mount Hood, another wildfire south of the mountain is quickly becoming a concern.

The Austin Fire has grown to approximately 710 acres after adding more than 500 acres Monday. Officials reported Tuesday that the fire was exhibiting extreme fire behavior.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office has issued a Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation notice for the area surrounding the Austin Fire and is asking people to stay out of the evacuation zone for their own safety and to give firefighters room to work. Clackamas County was continuing to display the Level 3 Austin Fire alert Tuesday afternoon.

The immediate evacuation zone is relatively remote. Oregon's Real-Time Assessment and Planning Tool indicated that five people and three structures were located within the evacuation area when the order was issued.

Forest Road 46 is closed between Forest Road 63 and Forest Road 42 because of fire activity. Forest roads 63, 57, 58 and 70 remained open as of Tuesday's update.

Recreation sites around Timothy Lake also remained open and were not under an evacuation level Tuesday afternoon. Lake Harriet remained open but was under a Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notice.

Multiple Fires Burning in the Upper Clackamas River Area

The Austin Fire is not the only new fire burning in the area.

Firefighters have also been responding to the Mitchell Fire near Shellrock Lake and the Narrows Fire across the Clackamas River from Highway 224 in an area containing standing dead trees left behind by the 2020 Riverside Fire.

Level 3 evacuation notices were issued Monday evening around both the Austin and Mitchell fires, adding another area of concern for fire officials already managing the much larger Grasshopper Fire nearby.

The Mt. Hood National Forest currently lists its overall fire danger as Extreme, with multiple fire restrictions, road closures and emergency forest closures in effect.

A Rapidly Changing Situation Around Mount Hood

Tuesday's developments illustrate how quickly Oregon's wildfire picture can change.

The Grasshopper Fire added more than 13,000 acres between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Tygh Valley returned to Level 2 evacuation status, several areas around Dufur remain under Level 3 orders, Mt. Hood Meadows has now ended its summer season, and the Austin Fire has grown into a 700-plus-acre incident with its own Level 3 evacuation zone.

At the same time, conditions are not worsening everywhere. Firefighters have secured portions of the Grasshopper Fire's southern and eastern perimeter, and Mt. Hood Meadows reported Tuesday that the fire was moving away from the resort.

For anyone living, working or recreating around Mount Hood, Dufur, Tygh Valley or the upper Clackamas River drainage, conditions should be checked immediately before traveling. Evacuation levels, highway access and forest closures may change with little notice.

This article reflects information available Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 11, 2026. Acreage, containment, evacuation zones and road closures can change rapidly during an active wildfire.