Oregon firefighters brace for windy and hot weather as they battle
dozens of blazes
[July 25, 2026]
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and NOAH BERGER
BEND, Ore. (AP) — Firefighters battling two of the largest blazes
burning in Oregon were bracing for windy and dry conditions forecast to
arrive in some areas of the state Friday and into Saturday.
Crews have been able to build some containment lines around the Akawa
Butte Fire, which is burning near Sisters, a town about 22 miles (35
kilometers) northwest of Bend. Started by lightning on July 16, the fire
has scorched 42 square miles (109 square kilometers) and destroyed two
homes.
It has been designated as the nation’s top priority wildfire because of
its proximity to people. The designation will allow officials to tap
into resources from other states and other countries, Oregon Gov. Tina
Kotek said Friday.
Strong winds and low humidity were expected later Friday and Saturday
and could lead to increased fire activity, officials warned. They urged
residents to be prepared to evacuate if necessary.
The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning in central Oregon
through Saturday, which means conditions such as low humidity, warm
temperatures and strong winds can create an extreme wildfire risk.
The most critical period for Sisters, a town of 3,800 people about 3
miles (5 kilometers) south of the fire, will be the next 24 to 48 hours,
said Sisters Mayor Jennifer Letz. She said about half of the town's
population has been told to be ready to leave if needed.
“If we can get through this weekend, we will probably be in a good
position moving forward. But right now, we do have the north half of the
city under orders to be prepared, to have a plan, to get their things
together," she said.
There are more than 1,000 firefighters battling the blaze and more are
expected to join them to help strengthen and expand containment lines.
The blaze has shown extreme fire behavior, including 200-foot (61-meter)
flame heights and a pyrocumulus cloud that generated its own lightning,
Kotek said.
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A helicopter drops water on the Akawa Butte fire on Friday, July 24,
2026, near Sisters, Ore. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
“This is all-hands-on-deck here in Oregon,” she said.
It’s not Oregon’s only significant wildfire, making this an
especially challenging period for emergency responders, she said.
There are dozens more fires burning across the state, choking the
air in Oregon and sending smoke across the country. Kotek said every
available firefighter and firefighting resource is being used in the
field.
The biggest blaze is the Rowe Creek Complex which has destroyed 300
square miles (777 square kilometers) since being sparked by
lightning on July 15. It was nearly 30% contained on Friday.
Firefighters have made progress on the northern portion of the
blaze, where they have built containment lines, but strong winds
fueled the fire and it expanded on its southern end after spot fires
jumped containment lines, said Thadd Niebel, an operations chief
with the U.S. Forest Service.
Crews were being reassigned to the southern portion of the blaze to
strengthen containment lines and protect homes and other buildings
ahead of winds forecast to reach 20 mph (32 kph), Niebel said.
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Rodriguez reported from San Francisco.
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