Four Megafires Rage Across Oregon

Officials banned campfires at all state parks east of the Cascades.

Farewell Bend State Recreation Area is closed after a nearby wildfire spread to the park. The park is closed while staff work to remove hazard trees, repair damaged water lines and clear out debris. (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department)
By Eliza Aronson

More than 800,000 acres of Oregon land are currently burning in what is shaping up as a particularly destructive wildfire season. Nationwide, the number of burned acres is 133% above average and the Pacific Northwest is currently being hit hardest.

As of July 23, the Durkee Fire in Baker County is the biggest in Oregon, covering 200,000 acres. It’s entirely uncontained, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized funds to help fight it. (State transportation officials have closed much of Interstate 84 between Pendleton and Ontario because of the Durkee Fire.)

On July 22, the U.S. Forest Service closed Malheur National Forest, citing several “large, complex wildland incidents, which have the potential to exhaust national wildland firefighting resources.”

On July 23, state officials banned campfires at all state parks east of the Cascades. “We understand campfires are an important part of the experience at Oregon State Parks,” said JR Collier, deputy of statewide operations for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. “We don’t make the decision lightly to restrict the use of fire, but unfortunately conditions require that response.”

Part of the problem is “moderate to severe levels of drought” in the Pacific Northwest, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

The closest blaze to Portland is the Whisky Creek Fire burning 6 miles southeast of Cascade Locks.

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