Central Oregon Fire Info · Aug 10, 2026, 10:49 AM

Hidden Forest – Final Update / August 10, 2026

Size: 297

Containment: 80%

Cause: Under Investigation

Personnel: 65

Estimated containment: August 12, 2026

Crews are continuing mop up operations and securing containment lines.

A drone is flying over the fire again today as smoldering, and areas of interior heat continue to be observed. The drone is equipped with IR (infrared) capabilities and is used to identify the areas still holding heat.

Central Oregon Fire Info · Aug 10, 2026, 9:40 AM

Rowe Creek Complex / August 10, 2026

Official Acreage: 371,548

Start Date: July 15, 2026

Location: 10 miles south of Fossil, Oregon

Cause: Lightning

Personnel: 1,604

Fuels: Tall Grass, Timber, Brush

Containment: 84%

Highlights: Throughout the night shift firefighters took direct suppression tactics along Ranger Station Road. Spot fires continued to jump over the lines. More lines are being built.

Operations: Firefighters worked to contain spot fires and slop-overs on the south side of the Ochoco Ranger Station Road. North of the road, fire expanded to the northeast, constrained by the road on the south and Mark’s Creek Fire scar on the north. Firefighters continued preparing Forest Service Road (FSR) 2610 and FSR 2670 for containment lines to tie this section of the fire back in with US 26. Preparations were started on Wolf Creek Road as a contingency line if needed. To the west, work continued to hold lines near Salmon Creek Road, but by this morning fire had advanced farther southwest. Additional lines are being prepared to block the fire’s advance in that direction. Fire is backing down the slopes east of Mill Creek and will be suppressed when on defendable ground. Structure protection is in place.

A hotshot crew was deployed to the Cherry Creek and Tompkins Pass Road vicinity. The crew was successful in keeping the fire within planned lines along those roads. Juniper, which is burning in the area, is problematic because its bark produces long, stringy embers when it burns. These embers float in the air across lines and can cause spot fires if they fall in receptive fuel.

Today, firefighters will continue Sunday’s efforts. Critical areas include control lines in the Wildcat Mountain area and the lines along Cherry Creek and Tompkins Pass. Primary objectives will be to keep the fire within established control lines while scouting and preparing contingency lines. When safe and appropriate, vegetation removal, chipping, and strategic firing operations will all be employed in this effort. Surge groups are staged and will respond quickly to areas of need.

Additional structural resources continue to arrive, including firefighters and apparatuses from California. During the day shift, structural operations will include three task forces containing 5 variable apparatuses, operational leadership and agency oversight each, and one strike team containing 5 of the same apparatuses with operational leadership and agency oversight; night operations will include two task forces and one strike team. Structural resources are concentrated in Mill Creek and along Ochoco Creek Road, where crews are engaging active fire around structures and mopping up after the flame front passes. Additional support from the Oregon Department of Forestry is also strengthening the response, helping incident leaders use resources more effectively across the fire’s most active areas while maintaining flexibility as crews respond to challenging and erratic fire behavior.

The National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level is currently at PL5, the highest level. This level is based on fire activity, weather, fuel conditions and resource availability. Under PL5, “Full commitment of national resources is ongoing.” Resources include personnel and equipment: air tankers, hotshot crews, engines, tacticians, dozers, fellers and even cooks. There are currently 94 large fires being suppressed in the country. Each of those, including Rowe Creek Complex, vies for what limited resources are available. High value and highly effective resources, such as aircraft, Hotshot Crews and Type 1 engines, are in great demand. Agencies in charge of prioritizing resources make difficult decisions regarding which fires get which resources. Under the current conditions, no fire gets everything they ask for. Meeting objectives on a 500-mile perimeter fire is challenging with a team of 1,600 personnel.

Property Protection: If a dozer, crew bus or fire engine shows up at your property, it is not necessarily cause for alarm. Firefighters are taking proactive steps to protect structures in the area. Before firefighters arrive, property owners can take steps to make their property more resilient in wildfire. Simple actions like removing flammable items, such as deck furniture, woodpiles and plants, from within 5 feet of their homes or under their porches or decks, can make a difference. For more ideas, visit oregondefensiblespace.org. On that website, you can also request a free educational home assessment from an Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Deputy State Fire Marshal or a member of your local fire agency.

Notice: Evacuation statuses, closures (road, lands, airspace, etc.), weather, restrictions and air quality can all change quickly. It is important to pay attention to public service announcements which may come out as phone alerts, radio and TV announcements, and web sites. Many emergency management agencies (such as counties and utilities) offer sign-ups to ensure you are notified of hazardous situations in your community.

Evacuations: There are currently no changes in evacuation status. For county evacuation maps, check Crook County: https://protect.genasys.com/, Jefferson County: //tinyurl.com/bdz88ufn, Wasco County: //perimetermap.com/wascocounty-or and Wheeler County: //arcg.is/1aDrHm4. A Red Cross shelter is being operated at the East Side Church, 3174 NE Third Street, Prineville.

Weather: Today will be slightly cooler than Sunday, with slight improvement in relative humidity. The forecast high is 84 degrees. Wind will be mild with sustained northwest winds up to 7 mph and gusts as high as 15 mph. Winds at ground level are driven by the effects of temperature and terrain and can change direction and intensity quickly. This can cause spot fires in unexpected directions from the main fire. Firefighters have been briefed to remain vigilant to this effect. Relative humidity recovery last night was good, as high as 55% in areas. Today, it could dip to 18%. In these conditions, fire activity will be very high most of the day. Smoke columns are likely to develop. There is no significant precipitation forecast during the next several days.

Closures and Restrictions: US Highway 26 remains closed, currently from mile 29.2 to mile 59.8 (a small reduction since yesterday). For current road closures information, see tripcheck.com. Firefighters are reporting increased traffic in closed areas. For public and firefighter safety, please stay out of these areas. Until cleared for reopening, there are hazards, such as fire-weakened trees, stressed roadbeds and bridges, loosened overhead rocks, etc. that are not immediately obvious to untrained eyes. Ochoco National Forest closure information can be found at fs.usda.gov/r06/ochoco/alerts. For Bureau of Land Management (BLM) closures, refer to blm.gov/programs/fire/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions. For information on fire restrictions on public and private lands in central Oregon, refer to https://centraloregonfire.org/fire-restrictions/. A temporary flight restriction is in place in the area to ensure safe aerial firefighting operations. Unauthorized drone and aircraft operations are illegal in this zone. For more information, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3. If you fly, we can’t!

Safety: Air quality in the area has recently experienced every level from Good to Hazardous and can change rapidly. For detailed information, refer to https://fire.airnow.gov/#8/44.457/-120.394. For information on mitigating the effects of wildfire smoke, refer to epa.gov/air-research/smoke-ready-toolbox-wildfires. Stay out of closed areas, follow evacuation orders and avoid activities that could spark another wildfire.

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office has updated evacuation levels:

LEVEL 3 – GO NOW: East of Keystone Ranch to Arvid Nelson Road, south of Sulphur Springs Road.

LEVEL 2 – BE SET: Badger Creek Road east to Summit Road, north of FS Road 22.

LEVEL 1 – BE READY: Between FS Road 22 and FS Road 42 to Big Summit Prairie.

SMOKE ADVISORY: Smoke conditions are expected to be especially heavy as smoke from surrounding fires moves into our area. Please limit outdoor exposure when possible, especially if you are sensitive to smoke.

Central Oregon Fire Info · Aug 10, 2026, 10:17 AM

Shingle, Coyote, and Henry Fires / August 10, 2026

We are moving to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday updates for these fires in anticipation of transitioning to a Georgia Type 3 team tomorrow. A total of 476 personnel are assigned to the fires.

We are moving to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday updates for these fires in anticipation of transitioning to a Georgia Type 3 team tomorrow. A total of 476 personnel are assigned to the fires.

Coyote and Henry Fires remain within their established perimeters, and fire managers do not anticipate additional fire spread. Firefighters patrolling yesterday found a heat source on the southern perimeter of the Coyote Fire and extinguished it with the help of an engine crew.

Shingle Fire: Containment increased substantially on the fire. Evacuation levels are reduced and only remain active near the Southeast corner of the fire. The fire remains contained east of Forest Service Road 12 and crews continue removing hazard trees and mopping up. Firefighters are using water-handling equipment and hand tools to hold and improve the southern containment line between Sam Davis Springs and Rock Creek.

On the southeastern perimeter, crews continue evaluating lines to mitigate hazard trees and other heat sources,reinforcing containment line between Bear Skull Mountain and Cottonwood Creek.

Yesterday, a helicopter dropped buckets of water to cool hot spots detected near Cougar Ridge, reducing the threat of spots over the fire line on the eastern perimeter. Heavy equipment is working along Cottonwood Creek Road today.

As containment lines are secured along the north and western flanks, fire managers are downsizing personnel and focusing on the southeast fire edge. Firefighters that remain on the northern perimeter will patrol along Highway 26 south to Derr Meadows.

Weather is dry with low humidity and there is little chance for precipitation in the near term.

Smoke from multiple fires is impacting air quality. For current information, visit: https://fire.airnow.gov

A Level 1 Evacuation (“Get Ready”)remains in place in Wheeler County on the Shingle Fire.

Fire closures affect much of the Ochoco National Forest and Bureau of Land Management Prineville District. Lands, roads, and trails within the designated area are closed to the public. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is open. 

Highway 26 remains closed from milepost 29.2 to milepost 66.