Crews in central Oregon are battling a 22,000-acre wildfire that has destroyed four homes and is threatening thousands more. Hundreds of people are under evacuation orders with the fire at only 5% containment. Photo by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Oregon
A large wildfire burning in central Oregon has destroyed four homes and is threatening nearly 4,000 more, as firefighters continue to battle with the fire at only 5% containment.
The Flat Fire, which sparked Thursday afternoon near Sisters, Ore., in Jefferson and Deschutes counties, has burned nearly 22,000 acres. As of Monday, more than 1,000 people are under evacuation orders. No injuries have been reported.
“Crews are making progress on the Flat Fire in central Oregon. The fire is 21,971 acres, 5% contained,” the Oregon State Fire Marshal wrote Monday in a post on X. “Our structure protection resources are putting in long hours to protect communities near the fire.”
“Our thoughts are with those impacted,” Flat Fire officials wrote in a post on Facebook. “While any loss is difficult, hundreds of homes in the fire’s path remain standing — reflecting both the preparation property owners put into creating defensible space and the coordinated aggressive suppression efforts.”
According to Monday’s fire update, a Red Flag warning is in effect due to dry conditions with a heat advisory in effect through Wednesday. There is also a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast, which could cause strong wind gusts up to 35 mph.
At a community meeting Monday night, fire officials updated residents about progress overnight due to cooler temperatures, but warned, “We have critical fire weather this week and we still have a lot of work to do around this fire. So we will continue to be here to protect your homes.”
The number of firefighters fighting the Flat Fire was increased from 800 on Sunday night to 1,270 on Monday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
On Friday, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, which allows the Oregon State Fire Marshal to mobilize additional resources specifically for the Flat Fire. It is the seventh conflagration this wildfire season.
“Gov. Kotek determined that a threat to life, safety and property exists due to the fire, and the threat exceeds the firefighting capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
“This order is in effect as of this date and until which time the Department of the State Fire Marshal has demobilized all OSFM resources off this incident.”
