Central Oregon wildfires force thousands to flee as Bench Fire jumps Deschutes River

A fast-moving wildfire in Central Oregon crossed a major natural barrier over the weekend, setting off the highest evacuation warning for Warm Springs and sending thousands scrambling.

The Bench Fire is unfolding within a wider statewide emergency, as dozens of large fires continue burning across Oregon and firefighting resources are stretched even thinner.

What happened?

By late Saturday, the Bench Fire west of Madras had grown beyond 6,200 acres and remained 0% contained, prompting Level 3 "Go Now" orders for Warm Springs and other parts of Jefferson County, according to OPB.

Highway 26 closed overnight between Warm Springs and Madras, then shut again Sunday between Prineville and John Day as crews battled fast-moving, shifting flames, OPB reported. The fire had jumped the Deschutes River, helping it spread quickly toward homes and nearby communities.

According to Matthew Wilcox, public information officer for the Central West Zone Type Three Incident Management Team, crews have had a hard time containing the blaze. "Unfortunately, (the Bench Fire) did jump the line that they put in that first night, and then ever since that, it's been growing pretty rapidly," he said.

The response is growing as the nearby Beachcomb Fire has merged with the Bench Fire. Wilcox said more than 200 fire personnel are assigned to the two fires, and OPB reported that the Oregon State Fire Marshal activated the Emergency Conflagration Act to bring in additional support.

Why does it matter?

The evacuations are unfolding during what OPB described as one of the state's most aggressive wildfire seasons in years. Officials say historically low winter snowpack has left the landscape dangerously dry, creating what they describe as August-like fire conditions in July.

OPB reported that Jessica Neujahr, public affairs officer for the Oregon Department of Forestry, said Oregon has more than 34 active large fires burning across more than 1 million acres.

"If they're already assigned to a fire, we can't just pull them off of it," Neujahr said. "We are definitely looking at fires and having to start prioritizing which ones are going to be staffed appropriately."

Other massive blazes are continuing to burn elsewhere in Oregon, scorching hundreds of thousands of acres. OPB reported that the Akawa Butte Fire has topped 27,000 acres and is the country's top-priority fire because it is close to Sisters.

What's being done?

State and local agencies are expanding the response as conditions worsen. The Red Incident Management Team has been assigned to the Bench Fire, and additional resources are being sent in as officials work to protect homes and critical infrastructure.

Emergency alerts are also changing rapidly. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook: "We are trying to keep you as updated as possible and making sure all the notifications go out to the impacted people in the community. And as we typed this out, levels changed, then changed again."

Shelters are also helping evacuees who cannot safely return home. OPB reported that Billy Ayers of the Red Cross said a Madras shelter had five people stay overnight, including a family relocated as fire activity intensified and a couple who arrived in the early morning hours.

"They were out and realized that they couldn't get home," Ayers said.

As crews brace for more fire growth, Neujahr warned that "any small ember right now could potentially start the next large wildfire."

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