By APRIL ERHLICH/Oregon Public Broadcasting
Wildfires are burning across much of Central Oregon, bringing evacuation orders and smoky air to some communities. And weather officials are warning that conditions could get worse in the coming days.
Forecasters expect another round of thunderstorms to roll through just as wildfires spread across tens of thousands of acres in the region.
As of Monday afternoon, wildfires covered about 375,000 acres, mostly in Central and North-Central Oregon. Another major wildfire, the East Evans Creek Fire, was burning in Jackson County.
On Monday, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for much of Central Oregon — including most of Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties — due to the high risk of wildfire. The warning is in effect through Wednesday.
A firefighter on duty at the Rowe Creek Complex Fire in Wasco County. (Brett Deedon, Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office photo)
While many fires remain far from densely populated areas, more than 1,000 people were under Level 3 “GO NOW!” evacuation orders across the state.
Air quality plummeted in many areas, especially around Bend, Pendleton and the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued air quality advisories covering 12 counties: Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, northern Harney, northern Jackson, Jefferson, northern Malheur, Union, Umatilla, Wallowa and Wheeler. The advisories are expected to last through Wednesday afternoon.
Last week, lightning storms sparked two large clusters of wildfires — the Rowe Creek Complex in Central Oregon, and the Hay Creek Complex in North-Central Oregon. As of Monday afternoon, the Rowe Complex covered almost 143,000 acres and the Hay Creek Complex covered about 92,000 acres.
Oregon Department of Forestry staff said firefighting resources were spread “extremely thin.”
“We’re doing our best to prioritize fires as best we can,” said ODF spokesperson Jessica Neujahr. “But in the end, there’s only so many resources that we have.”
Neujahr said other U.S. states and Canadian provinces have stepped in to help through the Northwest Fire Fighting Compact. Federal firefighting agencies are also sending resources, like air tankers and fire crews, to tackle fires in Oregon.
“We remain the number one priority in the nation,” said Carol Connolly, spokesperson for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland. “We seem to be doing OK when it comes to the allocated resources that we’re getting now.”
The Rowe Creek Complex Fire is made up of wildfires largely sparked by lightning in Central Oregon. (Brett Deedon, Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office photo)
The National Weather Service has also issued a heat advisory covering the Portland metro area, the southwest Washington lowlands, central Willamette Valley, and the Columbia Gorge, lasting Tuesday morning through Wednesday.
The Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency is opening cooling centers in Salem and Woodburn on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There’s also a heat advisory for northern Umatilla and Morrow counties.
Given the high temperatures and dry thunderstorms, Connolly and Neujahr stressed that Oregonians ensure they don’t spark any human-caused wildfires.
“That one extra human-caused fire on the landscape puts that added stress on the system,” Neujahr said.
One way to avoid sparking a wildfire, Neujahr said, is by checking fire restrictions before camping or picnicking. Drivers should secure tow chains and avoid driving or parking in dry grass. Power tools, like lawn mowers and trimmers, can also spark fires.
