WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Here's Tuesday's full update on the destructive 45,200-acre Bench Fire that has destroyed several homes and outbuildings on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.

Also, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation have crated an official Wildfire Recovery Fund you can visit here.

Here's Tuesday night's update from the Bench Fire Facebook page:

Evening Update: Today, Oregon State Fire Marshal task forces continued structural protection operations on the Bench Fire in coordination with wildland resources, mopping up around structures in the Pelton Dam and the Seekseequa Road area.

Throughout the day, firefighters quickly extinguished several hot spots and flare-ups near homes, preventing rekindles from threatening nearby structures. Overnight, OSFM task forces will continue patrolling around homes throughout the Warm Springs community, extinguishing lingering heat, and responding as conditions evolve.

Public Phone: 541-707-8719 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Acres: 45,209

Start Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026

Location: 4 miles southwest of Warm Springs, Oregon

Cause: Undetermined

Personnel: 468

Fuels: Grass and shrub, Ponderosa pine

Containment: 0%

Latest Update: The Bench Fire continues to exhibit active-to-extreme fire behavior. Evacuations remain in effect.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Red Incident Management Team and Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4 have entered unified command of the Bench Fire, in coordination with tribal, local, state and federal partners.

Both IMTs will work together to preserve values at risk and work to confine the Bench Fire to as small a perimeter, as quickly as possible while providing for firefighter and public safety.

Ongoing & Planned Operations: Firefighters are working to identify and prepare roads located north of the Bench Fire, within the Tenino Road system, to be used as containment lines with the goal of keeping the fire confined south of Tenino Road and east of the Metolius River.

Crews at the southern edge of the fire will work to hold containment lines established north of Lake Billy Chinook, while scouting areas south of the lake for potential contingency containment lines should the fire move south of the lake.

Firefighters will also begin to staff an initial attack group that will remain poised to respond to any new fire starts within the Warm Springs area.

Seven OSFM structural task forces and strike teams are assigned to the incident, where firefighters are conducting point protection operations throughout the Warm Springs community and other threatened areas.

Crews are defending homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure including hydroelectric dams along the Deschutes River. They are working closely with wildland firefighters in accordance with the OSFM’s mission to protect structures.

Structural resources are also providing a high-capacity water supply to support suppression operations, helping maintain firefighting capability in remote areas.

Weather & Smoke: Elevated fire weather conditions will continue throughout the day. Today’s temperatures will hover in the mid-to-upper 80s, with northerly winds gusting between 10-to-15 miles per hour. Wind gusts up to 25 mph are expected after 2 p.m. Smoke impact from the Bench Fire and other nearby fires will remain noticeable in the central Oregon area. A smoke outlook is visible at https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/6aaf6480.

Evacuations & Closures: Level 3: GO evacuation notices are in effect for the Warm Springs Agency District, including Greeley Heights, Tenino Apartments, Trailer Courts, West Hill, Elmer Quinn Park, the Campus Area and Shitike Creek. GO evacuation notices also remain in effect for Pelton Park, Pelton Dam, Dry Hollow and Lake Simtustus. Residents should follow local emergency notifications and evacuation instructions. An interactive evacuation map is available via Jefferson County at https://fr911orgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e1000ff48be84d6ba23431f303d2c247. Travelers should monitor Oregon road conditions using tripcheck.com.

More Information: Stage 2 fire restrictions remain in effect in Jefferson County and Warm Springs. A map of fire restrictions can be viewed at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect in the Bench Fire area. Unauthorized drone use can impede firefighting operations and presents a risk to firefighter safety. If you fly, we can’t. More information is available at https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_8859.

Bench Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orwsa-bench Email: 2026.bench@firenet.gov Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2026.benchfire