Firefighters made significant progress over the weekend on two large wildfires burning in Oregon.
The Rowena Fire in Oregon on June 12, 2025, seen from East Mayer State Park.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
The Rowena Fire started near The Dalles last Wednesday and quickly grew to more than 3,000 acres by Thursday. The perimeter has not grown much since then.
Crews said as of Tuesday morning the perimeter of the fire was about 37% contained.
The fire destroyed at least 56 homes, and more than 130 were still threatened. Thousands of nearby residents remained under Level 1 and Level 2 evacuation orders as of Tuesday morning. Level 3 evacuations were lifted Monday night.
Morning operation briefing for June 16thMorning Operations Update – Rowena Fire - June 16, 2025 This morning’s operational briefing shares the latest on the Rowena Fire, including completed work, progress made, and today’s priorities for crews. Firefighters remain focused on protecting homes, strengthening containment lines, mopping up, patrolling, and ensuring public safety. Yesterday’s Strategic Firing Operation* to eliminate green pockets of unburned fuel was successful. Smoke from that operation may continue to be visible to nearby areas, including the Dalles, and I-84. Watch the full update to hear directly from incident leadership and stay informed on what to expect throughout the day. *Strategic firing operation- often referred to as "firing operations" in wildfire management, involve the deliberate use of fire by fire management teams to achieve specific objectives during wildfire suppression or management efforts. These operations are carefully planned and executed to control or contain wildfires, reduce hazardous fuels loads, and protect structures.
Posted by Rowena Fire 2025 on Monday, June 16, 2025
The Ferry Fire, which started in Sherman County on Thursday, grew to more than 9,000 acres by the following day. It has only grown slightly since then. It was estimated at just under 10,500 acres on Monday morning. But the fire perimeter was nearly 80% contained.
In both cases, additional firefighting resources were mobilized to help local crews fight the fires. Those outside firefighting teams will begin to demobilize from both fires on Monday and return to their home crews.
The forecast appears to be more favorable for firefighters near the Rowena and Ferry fires this week. Temperatures in both areas are expected to stay in the 70s through Thursday, and highs in the 60s on Friday could give way to a chance of showers next weekend.
Related: Federal cuts threaten Oregon’s disaster response ahead of wildfire season
Resources: Stay safe and informed during wildfire season with OPB’s wildfire guide at opb.org/wildfires. This resource offers essential safety tips and preparedness guidance to help you navigate fire and smoke events. This resource was created as part of our commitment to serving the public as wildfire seasons become longer and more dangerous.