Fires continue to burn on the Warm Springs Reservation in Central Oregon, and they’ve prompted the closure of popular hiking trails into Labor Day weekend.
As of Saturday night, the Lionshead Fire was burning nearly 15,000 acres, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. That fire, which started Aug. 16 due to lightning, was estimated to be 31% contained.
The nearby P515 fire, which started on the same day also due to lightning strike, burned more than 4,600 acres and was estimated to be 95% contained Saturday.
In response to active fire behavior and predicted weather, the U.S. Forest Service announced Saturday evening that it was asking all visitors to the Mount Jefferson Wilderness to “promptly leave in a calm and orderly fashion.”
“The Forest is preparing a closure order that will encompass a portion of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, notably including approximately 40 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, Jefferson Park, and the Whitewater and Pamelia Lake trails,” the Forest Service said in a statement. “Visitors looking to recreate in these areas are encouraged to develop alternate plans for the holiday weekend.”
A full map of closures is available on the Forest Service’s website.