The Flat Fire is estimated at 21,971 acres with 5% containment. The fire is burning approximately two miles northeast of Sisters, Oregon.
Crews made significant progress Monday, aided by more favorable weather. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped stabilize conditions, allowing firefighters to shift from catching the fire to holding and securing the perimeter. Firefighters across the incident worked hard to strengthen and expand lines, and as of Monday evening, the fire is fully lined.
Structural strike teams remained in place within residential areas, working throughout the day to extinguish hot spots and patrol for embers. Crews have been aided in their efforts by the proactive home hardening and defensible space measures of home and property owners. These efforts, combined with the significant progress made today by wildland resources, have allowed OSFM to demobilize a local task force and a strike team Monday evening. These crews were part of the initial attack response and will be returning to serve their home agencies here in Central Oregon. OSFM task forces remain dedicated to the impacted area, providing structural protection around the clock.
There were decreases in evacuation levels within both Deschutes and Jefferson Counties Monday evening. Evacuations are managed by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Please follow their Facebook pages for the latest updates.
While the precipitation provided some relief, fuels remain dry, and a heat advisory also continues through Wednesday, keeping conditions challenging for firefighting efforts. Firefighters continue to improve the security of established lines ahead of expected warmer weather. Falling work to remove fire-affected trees is also underway to improve access to structures and reduce overhead dangers to firefighters.
Monday night’s public meeting was attended in person by nearly 1,000 community members. We appreciate the outpouring of support and the opportunity to connect with the community. A recording of the meeting is available on our Facebook page.
Evacuations:
Evacuations are managed by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Level 1, 2 and 3 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 under the Prineville tab on the following page: https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions.
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.
Local Road closures: The Deschutes County Sheriff is managing several local road closures.
- Wilt Road is closed at Camp Polk Road
- Panoramic Drive is closed at Camp Polk Road
- Goodrich Road closed north of Hwy 126
- Holmes Road closed north of Fadjur Lane
Smoke Report: Air quality continues to change. For current conditions, please visit: https://fire.airnow.gov/
