SALEM, Ore. — The Tillamook, Clatsop and Santiam state forests are closed to all public entry and use effective immediately, as are scattered state forestlands in Polk, Lincoln and Benton counties. Anyone currently in these areas needs to leave right away. This is necessary due to the current extreme fire conditions that are endangering life, forest resources, and property as well as very limited fire and emergency response resources. The Santiam State Forest is closed until further notice. Other closures will last until at least Sunday, Sept. 13 at 11 p.m ..read more

Update: All fires reported yesterday are in mop-up and will begin transition back to landowners over the next few days. No fire growth. No structures threatened. No road closures. • The Crankshaft Fire, located about 6 miles south of Gates, is an estimated 25 acres. • The Gopher Valley Fire, located 5 miles north of Sheridan, is an estimated 20 acres. • The North Fork Fire, located 16 miles east of Molalla, is an estimated 80 acres. • The Detroit Dam Fire, located 5 miles west of Detroit, remains at an estimated 50 acres. ODF is grateful for the partnership with landowners and fellow agenci ..read more

SALEM, Ore. – Continued dry and windy conditions brought new fires to western Oregon Wednesday morning, adding to ongoing fire activity. Suppression efforts continue with cooperators, industrial landowner partners and the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) providing ground resources in multiple ODF districts. Two fires have grown in size due to continued east winds and difficult access: Crankshaft Fire near GatesThe Crankshaft Fire, located about 6 miles south of Gates, is an estimated 25 acres. The Gopher Valley Fire, located 5 miles north of Sheridan, is an estimated 20 acres. Firefighters ..read more

Oct. 29, 2019 SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is working with cooperators and industrial landowner partners to suppress multiple fires across western Oregon. The majority of these are currently reported at less than 10 acres in size. Two of these fires have grown in size due to strong easterly winds and dry conditions, with steep terrain and remote access posing challenges: The North Fork Fire, located 16 miles east of Molalla, is an estimated 65 acres in size. The Detroit Dam Fire, located 5 miles west of Detroit, is an estimated 50 acres in size. While smoke is visible ..read more

SALEM, Ore. – The 2019 fire season officially ends today on all lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). The last district to end its fire season — the Southwest Oregon District covering Josephine and Jackson counties — did so this morning at 9 a.m. The 923 wildfires on ODF-protected lands this year is about average. However, thanks to favorable conditions and successful initial attack, the 16,867 total acres burned is 56 percent below average. Based on the average number of days in fire season across all ODF Districts, this year was the shortest fire season in the 21st cent ..read more

08/14/2019 SALEM, Ore. – With over 14,000 lightning strikes recorded as thunderstorms swept across Oregon between August 4 and 12, firefighters suppressed 88 lightning fires on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. As lightning fires often start in remote areas, ODF used specialty aircraft to aid in early detection efforts.   After successful efforts in Oregon’s severe 2015 fire season, ODF again contracted with Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control to bring one of their Multi-Mission Aircraft (MMA) to Oregon to assist with finding difficult to detect fires. This s ..read more

08/15/2019 SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – A fire started on the southeast side of Mt. Pisgah at approximately noon today.  The South Cascade District of the Oregon Department of Forestry responded to the fire and is currently overseeing operations. The park areas have been evacuated and closed to public access. There are currently between 75-100 personnel working the fire, with 3 type 2 helicopters, 2 single seat aircraft, 1 air tanker and air attack.  There are also three 20 person hand crews and a 10-person inmate crew at the fire. The Pisgah Fire is currently at approximately 50 acres.  The fire is bu ..read more

Despite steep terrain, crews working on the East Evans Fire are continuing to make consistent progress on the line, increasing containment overnight to 38%. The fire, located on the 18000-block of East Evans Creek road, remains 155 acres with a strong perimeter. Resources on the fire are increasing, with more than 250 personnel dedicated to this incident. Six tree fallers, 13 crews, 10 engines, 10 water tenders, and one bulldozer will be on the line today. One Type 2 and three Type 1 helicopters will also be available for air support, along with two air attack platforms. The biggest challenge ..read more

This will be the final formal fire update for the Milepost 97 Fire unless significant change occurs. We will continue to post information at https://www.facebook.com/milepost97fire and https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6461. The fire remains 13,119 acres and is now 65 percent contained, a 10 percent increase in the last 24 hours. The Milepost 97 Fire started the evening of July 24 at 10:00 p.m. as the result of an abandoned, and illegal, campfire. While firefighters from the Douglas Forest Protective Association and local rural fire districts con-verged on the fire within 15 to 30 minutes, the ..read more

Containment on the Milepost 97 Fire has reached 55 percent. The size of the fire remains 13,119 acres. Mop up operations will continue over the next several days. All evacuation level notifications have been lifted. While no evacuation levels are in effect, southern Oregon residents are encouraged to “be ready” (level 1) throughout the course of fire season, as fire can strike and threaten communities anytime during the heat of the summer. While weather forecasters are predicting calmer conditions today, fire-fighters can still expect temperatures and humidity to be hotter and drier than norma ..read more