Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Launches Official Facebook Page to Strengthen Community Communication

The Jefferson County School District canceled all summer programs and meal sites on Monday, July 27, citing rapidly changing wildfire conditions and active evacuation orders affecting parts of the district.

As wildfires push thousands from the Warm Springs Reservation and surrounding areas, Madras has become a critical hub for displaced residents and their animals, with the Jefferson County Fairgrounds hosting a livestock shelter and St. Patrick’s Church opening its doors to families.

Two fast-moving wildfires have merged into a combined complex exceeding 33,000 acres near the Warm Springs Reservation with zero containment, destroying at least six homes and forcing widespread evacuation across the community.

The Madras Redevelopment Commission and City Council have approved a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the former Initiative Brewing property at 715 SW 4th Street, putting the city in control of an asset backed by $1.2 million in urban renewal funding as officials work to recover the public investment.

With a meager snowpack winter behind them and reduced irrigation allotments now in effect, Jefferson County farmers are navigating one of the toughest water years in recent memory. The North Unit Irrigation District cut allotments in March, and statewide, some Oregon irrigators face potential shutoffs as streams fall short.