Smoke column from Austin Fire seen from McIver Incident Command Post on Aug. 25, 2026.
Courtesy of InciWeb
With August coming to an end and fall less than a month away, officials are reminding Oregonians that the state’s wildfire season isn’t over yet. Oregon remains severely dry, and dozens of fires are burning throughout the state with the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching.
Some of the largest blazes are over 90% contained. State authorities on Friday downgraded their emergency status, allowing some state employees to return to their normal jobs.
However, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management noted the change was because of “a reduced need for support and supplemental firefighting resources on the ground — not a reduction in wildfire risk.”
“Our team will maintain close situational awareness, remain ready to increase activation if conditions change and stay engaged in both response and long-term recovery efforts,” Alaina Calhoun, manager of the state’s emergency coordination center, said in a news release Friday.
Gov. Tina Kotek surveyed the fires and damage during a flight with state leaders between Salem and Pendleton this week. The governor described the wildfire season as “massive” and praised the first responders and roughly 100 Oregon National Guard members working in the state.
“It’s been all-hands-on-deck this summer to fight wildfires, and while we’ve made significant progress on containing fires and protecting lives and property, there is still a dangerous part of the season yet to go,” Kotek said in a news release. “September will likely present more wildfire challenges, and we need every Oregonian to do their part to prevent new fires from starting.”
State officials say they are shifting toward supporting communities as they begin the process of long-term recovery, including by helping people navigate federal disaster programs, assess damage and more.
Here is a list of fires and their status as of Friday, Aug. 28:
Mount Hood
The Grasshopper Fire, just east of Mount Hood, has burned nearly 94,000 acres and was 76% contained. The Austin and Narrows Fires, in the Clackamas River Ranger District, have burned more than 10,000 acres and are not contained as of Friday after prompting emergency closures throughout the Mount Hood National Forest the day before.
Eastern Oregon
The Hagen Fire, which is in the Blue Mountains between Pendleton and La Grande in Umatilla County, has burned more than 60,000 acres and is 33% contained.
The Paradise Fire, east of Walla Walla and Milton-Freewater, has burned more than 9,000 acres and is 13% contained. Authorities there are working to protect the Mill Creek Watershed, which supplies most of Walla Walla’s drinking water.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency Friday in Walla Walla County to seek federal assistance to mitigate the impact of the fire on the area.
Central Oregon
The Rowe Creek Complex Fire in Crook County has burned more than 373,000 acres and is 93% contained. About 105 evacuations remain in place there.
Southern Oregon
The Wrights Spring Fire, which is north of Klamath Falls, has burned 55,000 acres and was 65% contained. The Big Grass Fire — the largest of several fires east of Burns — has burned nearly 580,000 acres along the Oregon and Idaho border and is 93% contained.
