The Flat Fire is approximately two miles northeast of Sisters, Oregon, estimated at 23,380 acres and is now 32% contained. Due to the hard work completed by firefighters, control lines held through weather events over the last few days, and containment has increased.
Critical fire weather will persist through the weekend. Hot and dry conditions, combined with variable winds and low humidity, will keep fire potential high.
Throughout the day, wildland crews monitored for smoke and completed mop-up, seeking out lingering heat, typically up to 200 feet inside the fire perimeter. Structural task forces focused on ensuring that areas around homes remained secure during afternoon winds. Air reconnaissance today showed minimal visible smoke within the fire footprint, but residual heat may remain. Nighttime infrared flights, when weather permits, help to identify these areas.
While some night shift personnel are being reassigned to daytime efforts, those continuing to work overnight will complement dayshift mop-up, patrol, and suppression repair.
With containment increasing and residents returning home, focus will continue to shift to repairing the natural environment. This work includes recontouring slopes and reducing the potential for soil erosion.
Local, state, and federal efforts remain committed to reaching full containment. Fire managers will continue thoughtfully adjusting, reducing, and reallocating resources as progress continues. “We will stay focused, stay strong, and finish this thing,” said Incident Commander Tyler McCarty with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Firefighter Safety: As holiday weekend traffic increases, and more residents return to affected communities, we ask everyone to remain mindful that fire crews are still working in the area. Please drive carefully, watch for firefighting equipment on the roads, and allow crews space to do their jobs safely.
Wildfire Prevention: If your weekend plans take you outside, please be aware of the fire risks and recreate safely. Hot temperatures, low humidity, and gusty wind conditions persist in the area, naturally increasing fire risk and contributing to potential fire growth; help prevent the next wildfire by following all local regulations:
Oregon Dept. of Forestry: https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html
Deschutes National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/deschutes/fire/info/public-use-restrictions
Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grasslands: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/ochoco/alerts
Oregon/Washington BLM: https://www.blm.gov/orwafire
Evacuations: Evacuations are managed by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Level 1 and 2 evacuations remain in effect under the direction of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Follow their Facebook pages for the latest information and updates. They can also be reached by phone: Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 388-6655, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (541) 475-6520.
A 24-hour evacuation shelter has been set up by the Red Cross at Highland Baptist Church located at: 3100 SW Highland Ave, Redmond, OR. Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Madras and Kerley Horse Center in Powell Butte are available for large animals.
Local Area closures: To help fire operations and firefighter safety, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service ask that people stay out of the fire area.
The BLM has implemented closures, which can be found on the following page:
https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2025-08/orwa-pri-flat-fire-closure-08-23-25.pdf
The U.S. Forest Service has implemented closures, which can be found on the following page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/deschutes/alerts
As a reminder, drone use near fires is both illegal and extremely dangerous to pilots working on incidents. If you fly, we can’t. FAA Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place for the fire area. All illegal drone use will be reported to law enforcement.
Smoke Report: The current smoke outlook for Central Oregon can be found on the following page: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/6436a95d
Due to decreases in fire activity, updates will be provided once per day in the morning.
