Rowe Creek Complex Update: Crews Race to Hold US Highway 26 Near Prineville

The Rowe Creek Complex, burning in Crook County near Prineville in Central Oregon, has reached approximately 73 percent containment as crews continue intensive work along a critical section of US Highway 26, racing to establish a containment line that would effectively block the fire from crossing into new terrain to the west and south.

Current Status

As of August 15, 2026, the Rowe Creek Complex — which includes the Brewer and Box Springs fires — has seen steady progress on containment since its peak burn activity earlier this month. However, fire managers describe the remaining open perimeter as challenging terrain that requires hand-line construction with conventional hand tools rather than mechanical equipment.

Crews have been focused on widening the lines connecting Mill Creek to US Highway 26. Vegetation removal, chipping operations, and strategic firing — where crews light controlled burns to consume fuels ahead of the main fire and deny it the fuel it needs to spread — are all being employed along this critical corridor.

Highway 26 as a Containment Line

US Highway 26, which connects Prineville to the Ochoco National Forest and continues east toward John Day, has become a key element of the fire's containment strategy. Fire managers are treating the highway as a natural firebreak, working to clear fuels along its margins and prepare for burning operations that would eliminate potential fuel bridges across the road.

Keeping the fire from crossing Highway 26 would protect communities and structures to the west and ensure the road remains open for emergency access. If this line holds, fire managers say it will form a vital part of the final containment perimeter.

Structure Protection

Crews have prepared defensible space around structures within and near the fire area, clearing vegetation to at least 100 feet around buildings as a buffer against ember cast and direct flame contact. Structure protection crews remain staged and ready to engage if fire behavior threatens specific residences or outbuildings.

Contingency Planning

In addition to the primary containment strategy along Highway 26 and the Mill Creek-Salmon Creek corridor, incident managers have developed and strengthened contingency lines as a backup in case primary lines are compromised by wind events or extreme fire behavior. The Red Flag Warning issued August 13 — triggered by monsoon moisture pushing dry thunderstorms into the area — highlighted the ongoing volatility of fire weather in Central Oregon.

The Rowe Creek Complex team briefly made crews available to assist with the neighboring Rosenbaum Fire, but no assistance was ultimately requested. Oregon Department of Forestry Team 3 assumed command of the Rosenbaum Fire, marking the handoff of that incident to a separate management structure.

What Residents Should Know

Area and road closures remain in effect around portions of the Rowe Creek Complex. Crook County residents near the fire area should continue to monitor the Central Oregon Fire Information website at CentralOregonFire.org and the Crook County Sheriff's Office for the latest evacuation status and access information.