Jefferson County's summer burn restrictions took effect May 3, with open burning now prohibited. State officials warn Oregon faces one of its most severe fire seasons in years due to record-low snowpack, early drought, and an emerging El Niño pattern.

Jefferson County Fire & EMS closed all open burning effective May 3 due to drying fuels and forecasted conditions. The statewide 2026 fire season officially began May 8. Residents should know the rules before striking a match.

Jefferson County issued a public alert after a cougar was spotted near City Park in downtown Madras this week, following video evidence of a mountain lion on a south Madras porch the week prior. Separately, summer burn restrictions took effect May 4 due to dry conditions and elevated fire danger.

Sometimes change isn’t progress—it’s politics. Jefferson County’s 2024 Fire and EMS merger is a textbook example of how a “solution in search of a problem” can take two functioning organizations and tangle them in bureaucracy, debt, and confusion. A System That Worked Before the merger, Jefferson County Fire District #1 and Jefferson County EMS had … Read more

By Susan, Madras BulletinJune 17, 2025 As Central Oregon braces for what could be one of the most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, two active fires—the Rowena Fire near The Dalles and the Alder Springs Fire northeast of Madras—are igniting concern and disruption across communities. ???? Rowena Fire: First Major Conflagration of the Season … Read more

June 17, 2025 – A rapidly expanding wildfire known as the Alder Springs Fire has prompted mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders in areas surrounding Crooked River Ranch and parts of Jefferson and Deschutes Counties. ???? Fire Status & Spread ???? Evacuation Levels & Areas Affected Evacuation staging areas are set up at: ???? Firefighting Resources ????️ Weather & Wildfire Conditions … Read more

Deputy Chief of Prevention Jared Earnest reported that fire crews were dispatched around 11:45 a.m. to a fire in the Fairgrounds Road area. When deputies arrived on the scene first, they confirmed that all occupants had safely exited the building. Shortly after, fire crews arrived to find a single-family home with an attached structure on … Read more

Jefferson County Fire & EMS is facing serious financial challenges, leading to the layoff of four employees, including an administrative position. The cuts come after a 14-month gap in EMS billing due to delays in reapplying for a new tax ID following the merger of the fire department and EMS into a single organization. How Did This Happen? Fire … Read more

The merger of Jefferson County Fire District 1 (JCFD) and Jefferson County Emergency Medical Services (JCEMS) was initially sold to the public as a way to improve response times, reduce redundancy, and ensure financial sustainability. However, it has since become one of the most controversial and financially disastrous moves in recent county history, with growing concerns of fraud, mismanagement, and budget … Read more