Oregon’s wildfire season has taken a sudden and dangerous turn. After a relatively mild beginning to summer, a punishing combination of dry vegetation, thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds has ignited or rapidly expanded fires across several regions of the...
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...
Just as Oregonians were gearing up for Labor Day adventures, the Emigrant Fire has thrown a wrench in travel plans. What started as a lightning strike on August 24, 2025, has exploded into a fast-moving wildfire that has already burned more than 30,000 acres southeast...
The Flat Fire, which has already burned 23,000 acres of forestland and destroyed multiple homes near Sisters, Oregon, has become more than a natural disaster. It is now the subject of a fierce debate about truth, responsibility, and the human role in wildfires that...
SISTERS, Ore. — Wildfire season is showing its teeth across the West, with major blazes raging in both Central Oregon and California’s wine country. Evacuation levels around Sisters are in effect due to the Flat Fire — Level 1 (Be Ready) in green, Level 2 (Be Set) in...
SISTERS, Ore. – Central Oregon is facing another major wildfire as the Flat Fire has doubled in size to nearly 19,000 acres as of Saturday morning, according to the Oregon State Fire Dashboard. The fire remains 0% contained and continues to spread south, prompting new...
Lane County officials have issued a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order for residents along Roberts Ranch Road and Dunning Road near Highway 58, just east of Oakridge. The alert went out on Wednesday, August 7, after a wildfire moved dangerously close to homes in the...
ROWENA, Ore. — A fast-moving wildfire erupted Wednesday afternoon near the iconic Rowena Crest viewpoint in the Columbia River Gorge, forcing urgent Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations in the area. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office reported the fire shortly after 1:30 p.m.,...
Recently, I revisited Cougar Hot Springs, a place I hadn't seen since my teenage years. The transformation was startling. Where once lush greenery enveloped the pools, now stood a forest of charred trees, remnants of the devastating Terwilliger Fire of 2018. The...
Seeing Oregon's landscape turn into a blazing inferno is truly terrifying. The sheer scale of the devastation, with more than 1.4 million acres scorched by relentless wildfires, is beyond comprehension. For those of us who cherish Oregon’s natural beauty, it’s...
A wildfire erupted near Henry Hagg Lake on Thursday afternoon, triggering an immediate level 3 "go now" evacuation for the community of Cherry Grove. As an Oregonian who has witnessed these destructive fires year after year, it’s hard not to feel a growing...
Air quality advisories will remain active until at least 8 p.m. on Thursday for the Portland-Vancouver metro area, the Willamette Valley, and the Columbia River Gorge. These alerts have been issued by the Southwest Clean Air Agency and the Oregon Department of...