KWSO News 08/24/26: Wildfire Updates

Wildfire Updates In & Around Warm Springs 

Bench Fire: 

The Bench Fire on the southern end of the Warm Springs Reservation has reached roughly 67,000 acres and is 90% contained, with no growth in recent weeks.

“There shouldn’t be any smoke coming from the Bench Fire anymore,” said Javin Dimmick, Public Information Officer for Warm Springs Fire Management.

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team spent around two weeks on the Reservation assessing post-fire impacts and recommending mitigations that will guide work for the next 1 to 5 years, with longer term monitoring expected.

Austin Fire, Narrows, and Mitchell Fires:

Attention has shifted to active fires west of the reservation. The Austin Fire, located about two to three miles west of Warm Springs, stood at 5,295 acres with 0% containment as of Monday morning, August 24. Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team #4 assumed command of the Austin, Narrows, and Mitchell fires at 6 a.m. and is continuing both direct and indirect line construction.

More than 530 personnel are assigned. Crews are building fireline directly along the fire’s edge in safe areas, with night operations ongoing. Helicopters and unmanned aerial systems (drones) are supporting ground crews with water drops and infrared flights to map heat. Aerial resources are being shared across multiple fires in the region due to elevated activity.

Dimmick noted the fire is burning in timberland along Road 46. “They’re both very active at this time,” he said of the Austin and Narrows fires. “They’re trying to get control line around all flanks of the fire, but it is challenging because there’s not that many roads, it’s in steep terrain, and it is burning in forest land.”

The Narrows Fire remains at 223 acres and 0% containment. It is burning entirely within the 2020 Riverside Fire scar, where fuels include heavy dead and down timber mixed with new grass and brush growth. The fire is mostly smoldering and creeping; short upslope runs are possible on the southeast side if winds align with terrain, but significant growth is not expected. The Mitchell Fire is holding at 16 acres and 90% contained with no recent growth; further updates are not planned unless conditions change.

Community members should expect increased traffic from firefighting equipment and resources. Drivers are asked to watch for slower-moving vehicles.

Weather Forecast: Expected to stay warm and dry Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the mid- to upper 80s. A morning inversion is expected to lift by midmorning. Variable winds may produce ridgetop gusts of 20–23 mph before easing to around 15 mph in the afternoon. Air quality is projected to be good during the day and moderate in the evening. Local updates are available at fire.airnow.gov.

Evacuation levels, including Level 3 “Go Now,” remain in effect in parts of Clackamas County. Details and alert sign-ups are at clackamas.us/clackcoalerts. A forest closure and fire restrictions are also in place on the Mt. Hood National Forest. 

Grasshopper Fire:

North of the reservation, the Grasshopper Fire is 93,743 acres and 76% contained. “The majority of the fire activity has died way down because of really good firefighting work,” Dimmick said, though residual burning continues in some interior pockets and the southwest corner.

A reservation-wide Level 4 general shutdown and burn ban remain in effect because of extreme fire danger. “There’s a reservation-wide burn ban — campfires, open fires, wood biomass, tree twigs, stoves are all prohibited. The only thing that is allowed are propane gas stoves,” Dimmick explained. Internal combustion engines in the forest and fireworks are also prohibited.

Huckleberry picking and upcoming hunting are not restricted, but visitors should stay cautious. “It is really dry out there. It’s still really hot. Just be mindful of what you’re doing,” he said.

Smoke from the Austin and Narrows fires is expected to continue affecting Warm Springs and Madras when westerly winds blow. “As long as we continue getting westerly winds, we’re still going to see a fair amount of smoke,” Dimmick said.

For Austin Fire updates, contact (541) 982-5802 or 2026.Austin@firenet.gov, or visit InciWeb and the Austin/The Narrows and Mitchell Fire Facebook page.

Additional local information is available through the CTWS fire management page and KWSO.