Oregon is enduring its worst wildfire season in recent memory. As of July 31, 2026, more than 1.7 million acres have burned statewide, and 30 large fires remain active — a toll that rivals some of the most destructive years in state history.

A Season of Unprecedented Scale

The fires are concentrated in central, north-central, and eastern Oregon, where a combination of record heat, critically low relative humidity, and abundant dry fuels have created explosive fire conditions. The Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon State Fire Marshal have been managing multiple simultaneous incidents that have collectively overwhelmed state and local resources.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act eleven times in 2026 alone — more than in most full fire seasons — mobilizing state firefighting resources to assist local agencies. The act is reserved for fires that have escaped initial attack and threaten structures in populated areas.

Fires Burning Across Multiple Regions

Among the most significant active incidents:

  • Bench Fire (Jefferson County): The merged Bench and Beachcomb fires grew to over 40,000 acres near the Warm Springs Reservation after rapidly expanding from initial sizes of around 6,200 and 2,352 acres respectively. The fire forced mass evacuations of communities on and around the reservation.
  • Grasshopper Fire (Wasco County): Burning near Maupin in the Mt. Hood National Forest area, this fire prompted the 11th Conflagration Act declaration and received a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG).
  • Hagen Fire (Umatilla/Union counties): Evacuation levels were increased to Level 3 for certain zones as this fire continued to spread in northeastern Oregon.
  • Akawa Butte Fire: Received an FMAG and has been a major focus of suppression resources.
  • Hay Creek Complex (Gilliam County): Evacuation orders were lifted for this fire as of July 29, providing some relief to affected communities.

Infrastructure and Communities at Risk

The fires have prompted emergency road closures across Central and Eastern Oregon, with the BLM Burns District announcing closures of the Stinkingwater Access Road and Stinkingwater–Warm Springs Road. Highway 26 between Mt. Hood and Madras was temporarily closed but has since reopened.

The city of Huntington in Baker County was ordered to evacuate as the Salmon and Olive Butte fires threatened the area. Level 3, 2, and 1 evacuations remain in place for areas surrounding those fires.

What Comes Next

Forecasters at the National Weather Service are warning of continued extreme fire weather into the coming week, with a fire weather watch in effect for central and eastern Oregon. Dry thunderstorms remain a threat, as does a persistent pattern of below-normal humidity and above-normal temperatures that forecasters say shows no sign of breaking soon.

Residents throughout Central and Eastern Oregon are urged to sign up for local emergency alerts, keep vehicles fueled, and have go-bags ready with essential documents and medications.