Jefferson County entered Friday morning juggling four active wildfire situations — a fresh ignition near Gateway, a massive complex fire stretching across four counties, and two fires trending toward full containment after days of intense effort.

Mud Springs Fire: New Ignition Near Gateway

At approximately 3:30 a.m. Thursday, firefighters responded to a new fire northeast of Gateway near the intersection of N.E. Cook Lane and N.E. Coleman Road. The blaze — initially logged as Incident #683 and now called the Mud Springs Fire — burned through grass, sage, and juniper on both sides of the road before crews established containment lines around its perimeter. As of the latest report, the fire stands at 85 acres. No structure or evacuation orders have been reported.

Rowe Creek Complex: 344,800 Acres, 64% Contained

The Rowe Creek Complex — the largest active fire system in Central Oregon — has now consumed an estimated 344,800 acres across Jefferson, Crook, Wheeler, and Wasco counties, including portions of the Crooked River National Grassland. Containment stands at 64 percent, with roughly 1,700 personnel working the lines.

U.S. Highway 26 remains closed east of Culver to support ongoing firefighting operations. Crews have been focused on the Mill Creek corridor, where strategic burning along Highway 26 and Forest Service Road 500 helped prevent further structure loss this week. Work is also concentrated near Trout Creek, Cherry Creek, Brewer Reservoir, and closer to Prineville. Level 3 evacuation orders remain in effect for some portions of the complex area; residents should check the Jefferson County evacuation map at jeffco.net for the most current zone information.

Bench Fire: 84% Contained, Portions of Warm Springs Still Under Level 2

The Bench Fire, which tore through portions of the Warm Springs Reservation over the past two weeks, is now 84 percent contained at 67,071 acres. Approximately 500 personnel remain assigned, with crews concentrating on the western perimeter and cutting vegetation buffers. Level 2 evacuation orders (Be Set) remain in place in a few areas near Warm Springs and Lake Billy Chinook; no Level 3 orders are currently active for Jefferson County associated with this fire.

Round Butte Fire: 90% Contained Near Culver

The Round Butte Fire near S.W. Boulder Lane in Culver has grown slightly to 1,160 acres but is now 90 percent contained. Containment lines encircle the entire fire perimeter. Only a Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation order remains. Crews monitoring the Round Butte Fire are also responsible for the adjacent Bench Fire to the west.

Akawa Butte Fire: Contained

The Akawa Butte Fire northwest of Crooked River Ranch is fully contained at 27,491 acres. Central Oregon Fire Information issued its final report on August 5, and Jefferson and Deschutes county evacuation orders were lifted August 3. However, forest recreation closures remain in effect — officials warn that burned areas remain dangerous and ask the public to respect those boundaries.

What to Know Right Now

  • Air quality advisory in effect for Jefferson County — stay indoors when possible, use HEPA filters, wear an N-95 mask outdoors if you must go out.
  • Burn barrels banned county-wide effective August 4 through the end of fire season.
  • No drones near fire areas — drone flights suspend aerial firefighting and endanger crews.
  • Check TripCheck.com for road closures before traveling east of Culver on Highway 26.
  • Current evacuation maps: Jefferson County at arcgis.com; Warm Springs at caltopo.com.