Trick-or-Treat Downtown, Bingo Night, and More: Jefferson County's Halloween Week Lineup

It has been a year Central Oregon's ranching community won't soon forget. A record-low snowpack, the worst wildfire season in state history, and near-record diesel prices have converged to squeeze Jefferson County livestock producers heading into a difficult winter.

The Flat Fire northeast of Sisters has reached 67% containment at 23,346 acres, with the Oregon Department of Forestry issuing its final formal update and all evacuation levels dropping to Level 1 'Be Ready.' Crews are now focused on mop-up, patrolling the perimeter, and erosion repair.

Interim Fire Chief Kasey Skaar has submitted his resignation from Jefferson County Fire & EMS after 21 years with the department, citing family priorities and a new opportunity with Portland General Electric. His last day is December 4, leaving the district to search for permanent leadership.

Oregon's 2026 wildfire season burned a record 2.1 million acres and cost $235 million to fight. For Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Bench Fire left a deep local wound — six homes destroyed, hundreds evacuated, and a community reckoning with what comes next.

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and Jefferson County has a packed week of community events — from a trivia fundraiser at New Basin Distillery to the Madras Elks Lodge Trunk-or-Treat and a costume dinner party at the historic Shaniko Hotel.