Northeast Oregons Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is managing multiple active wildfire incidents simultaneously, taxing firefighting resources and prompting forest closures across a wide swath of backcountry terrain. The Salmon Fire, Anthony Fire, and Olive Butte Fire — all ignited by lightning in early July — continue to burn in remote and rugged terrain north and east of Baker City.
Salmon Fire
The Salmon Fire is currently mapped at 1,508 acres within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Like several of its neighboring fires, it was started by lightning and has been burning in terrain that limits ground crew access and complicates aerial suppression. The fire has been managed by an Incident Management Team, with approximately 900 firefighters collectively assigned across the Salmon and Anthony fires. Fire behavior on the Salmon Fire has been driven by steep slopes, abundant dead and down fuel, and critical weather windows.
Anthony Fire
The Anthony Fire has grown to 1,948 acres and ignited approximately 2 miles northeast of Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort in the Elkhorn Mountains. The fire remains 0% contained. Evacuation orders have been issued in portions of Union County due to the fires proximity to the resort area and surrounding communities. The USFS has expanded forest closures to encompass the Anthony Fires perimeter and buffer zone, coordinated with local counties and law enforcement.
Olive Butte Fire
The Olive Butte Fire — also lightning-caused — is burning in the Whitman-Wallowa National Forest approximately 34 miles north of Baker City. The fire has been tracked with the broader northeast Oregon cluster, and forest closures have been expanded to encompass its perimeter in coordination with the Salmon and Anthony fires. The Olive Butte Fires remote location has made initial attack difficult and necessitated aerial resources to support suppression.
North Cayuse Fire — Making Progress
While the other northeast Oregon fires remain challenges, there is positive news from the North Cayuse Fire, which ignited on July 4th approximately 6 miles east of Mission in Umatilla County. After burning nearly 4,887 acres, the North Cayuse Fire has reached 92% containment — a significant milestone that reflects the hard work of crews who managed the fire during its most active phase. Mop-up operations are ongoing.
Forest Closures in Effect
The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has issued expanded temporary closures to protect firefighter and public safety. Hikers, campers, and off-road vehicle users are urged to check the USFS Pacific Northwest Region website for current closure boundaries before entering the forest. Violations of emergency closures may result in citation.