Firefighters working the Paradise and Hagen fires on the Umatilla National Forest are shifting gears: active suppression is giving way to mop-up, rehabilitation, and hazard tree removal as both fires approach full containment. But despite the improved outlook, forest managers are maintaining strict closure orders and urging the public — especially hunters — to stay out of the fire perimeters.

Current Status

As of September 15–16, 2026:

  • Paradise Fire: 9,656 acres, 86 percent contained, burning approximately 18 miles east of Milton-Freewater in Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa counties. As of September 13, 764 personnel were still assigned to the incident.
  • Hagen Fire: 61,381 acres, 87 percent contained, burning approximately 26 miles east of Pendleton. Crews have made substantial progress along the northern and western flanks of the fire.

Both fires are listed on InciWeb (facebook.com/ParadiseHagenFires2026) and updates are issued by the Umatilla National Forest on an ongoing basis.

Transition to Repair and Restoration

Firefighters in the Umatilla National Forest are now concentrating on long-term repair and restoration work, according to forest officials. This phase includes:

  • Mop-up of remaining hot spots within the fire perimeter
  • Hazardous tree removal along roads and trails
  • Erosion control work to protect streams and watersheds
  • Monitoring of the fire perimeter for any new activity

Rehabilitation work — including seeding and replanting in severely burned areas — will likely extend well into 2027. Post-fire landscapes remain hazardous long after flames are extinguished, with falling snags, unstable soils, and flash flood risk in burned drainages all posing serious dangers.

Warning to Hunters: Stay Out of Closure Areas

With hunting season underway in parts of northeastern Oregon, Umatilla National Forest officials issued a pointed warning after hunters were reportedly observed inside active fire perimeter closure areas. The closures are in place for life-safety reasons: burned-over forests are filled with standing dead trees (snags) that can fall without warning, and unstable ground conditions can make travel extremely dangerous.

Forest officials stressed that all forest visitors must stay completely outside closure areas until they officially reopen. Violating a closure order on National Forest land is a federal offense. Hunters should check the Umatilla National Forest website for the latest closure boundaries before heading out.

Road and Forest Closures

Road closures associated with both fires remain in effect across portions of Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa counties. Specific road closures affect access to popular hunting and recreation areas in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness and surrounding drainages. Before traveling to the area, consult the Umatilla National Forest's website or contact the Walla Walla Ranger District for current closure information.

Long-Term Recovery

The combined footprint of the Paradise and Hagen fires — more than 71,000 acres — will require years of ecological recovery. The fires burned through a mosaic of ponderosa pine, mixed-conifer forest, and grassland. Some areas saw high-severity fire, while others burned at low to moderate intensity, leaving a patchwork of burned and unburned vegetation that will shape the landscape for decades. The Umatilla National Forest will conduct post-fire assessments to guide recovery planting and watershed protection priorities in the months ahead.