The Flat Fire, approximately two miles northeast of Sisters, Oregon, is estimated at 23,346 acres and is now 39% contained. Decreased acreage is a result of more accurate mapping of the fire footprint. After several days of challenging weather, established primary control lines have held strong. A Red Flag Warning is once again in effect for the fire area today due to high winds, as crews continue to focus on increasing containment.
Yesterday, crews utilized infrared cameras to detect and extinguish hot spots within the fire perimeter. On the southwestern side of the fire, resources worked to secure unburned vegetation inside the line, as suppression repair efforts progressed on the northern edge of the fire.
Today, resources will expand suppression repair work, flattening berms and diverting water off constructed dozer lines to decrease potential soil erosion. Firefighters will also be going door to door to assist landowners with land repair work if needed, as structural crews carefully check mop-up work near homes. Seamless integration between structural and wildland resources, and effective coordination between all agencies, has helped firefighters quickly meet incident objectives.
As conditions on the Flat Fire continue to stabilize, Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces are returning to their communities. Fire officials are confident in the progress made, allowing firefighters from Lincoln, Washington, and Lane Counties to be released today, with the remainder of OSFM resources returning to their home agencies tomorrow morning.
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/…/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 Prineville BLM has reduced the emergency closure on public lands around the fire. Steamboat Rock and Buckhorn OHV areas, as well as trails around Crooked River Ranch like Steelhead Falls, are open again.
The BLM has reduced closures, which can be found under the Prineville tab on the following page:
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
