A sign advertises a temporary shelter set up by the Red Cross at Sunridge Middle School in Pendleton, Ore. on July 16, 2026.
Antonio Sierra / OPB
A wildfire in northeastern Oregon has burned nearly 7,000 acres and destroyed five homes, according to officials. Multiple evacuation orders still remain in place for nearly 1,700 people in Umatilla County as of Friday morning.
According to a press release, the Umatilla County Emergency Management will continue working with fire officials to assess the damage caused by the the Lower Dry Creek Fire and contact affected property owners. The fire is 20% contained.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act Wednesday night for the Lower Dry Creek Fire near Milton-Freewater.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office began mobilizing firefighting task forces on Thursday morning for the fast-moving fire.
“Wednesday was an extremely active day for firefighters across the state as hot, dry weather coupled with thunderstorms elevated wildfire risk,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “The forecast is calling for continued thunderstorms and temperatures into the mid-90s for the coming week. I’m asking every Oregonian to be aware of the wildfire threat and take steps to prevent sparking any new wildfires.”
The fire spurred authorities to issue evacuation orders for the entire community of Weston Wednesday night.
Weston Mayor Mike Dowd said at its closest, the fire was only about a mile away from the town of 700 people.
Dowd said local police began going door-to-door encouraging residents to evacuate. Farmers began creating buffer lines with their tractors around the town. Luckily for Weston, Dowd said the wind soon started blowing away from town and lessened the threat.
Dowd said many residents who evacuated had already returned by early Thursday afternoon.
But in a community surrounded by wheat fields and timber, Dowd said Weston needs a generator to provide back-up power for its well when fire suppression is needed.
“500,000 gallons is what we have on a full reservoir,” he said. “If (power’s) out for four or five hours and you’re drawing several tankers of water, we get scared about how much capacity we’re going to have.”
Power outages have also been causing issues in the area of the Lower Dry Creek Fire. The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday night that an emergency evacuation shelter at Athena High School had to be moved when the power went out.
At a temporary shelter in Pendleton on Thursday morning, a handful of volunteers were sitting around a table chatting, ready to receive evacuees.
But otherwise the shelter was empty. The handful of people who had spent the night after the fire broke out left early in the morning to stay with family or friends, the volunteers said.
Internet service was out as of Friday morning in Milton-Freewater after the fire burned through fiber lines, according to local provider Wtechlink Inc.
The evacuation center at Sunridge Middle School in Pendleton remains open Friday. Livestock and horses may continue to be taken to the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds.
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.
The Lower Dry Creek Fire in Umatilla County burns through fiber lines of local internet provider Wtechlink Inc. on July 15, 2026.
Ken Sipp, Wtechlink Inc.
