With temperatures soaring and humidity at critical lows, fire officials are urging Jefferson County residents to observe all burn restrictions as wildfires erupt across Oregon. The Antelope Creek Fire near Central Oregon is now 80% contained, but a fast-moving 1,550-acre blaze in southern Oregon this weekend underscores just how dangerous conditions remain.

Jefferson County fire crews responded to multiple fires over the Independence Day holiday weekend, including the Peninsula Fire near Crooked River Ranch. Outdoor burning is currently closed across the county — and with extreme fire danger conditions persisting, officials urge extra vigilance through midsummer.

With national fire preparedness now at Level 4 out of 5 and multiple fires burning across Oregon, Jefferson County residents are being urged to stay vigilant. Meanwhile, Pacific Power’s fire-safety outage protocols have frustrated local residents and irrigation districts.

With the 2026 fire season well underway and two fires already burning over the holiday weekend, fire officials urge Central Oregon residents to know the restrictions, drown their campfires, and keep sparks off federal land.

A wind-driven brush fire threatened a home on SW Peninsula Drive on July 4th before crews from Crooked River Ranch Fire & Rescue and Redmond Fire contained it to less than half an acre. Goat grazing on the property helped slow the blaze.

The Coyner Fire, which ignited the evening of July 4th northwest of Redmond on BLM land, reached 20.5 acres and is now 50% contained as of Tuesday morning. All evacuation notices have been lifted.

A fast-moving grass fire ignited north of Antelope on the Fourth of July, forcing Level 3 evacuations for the town before crews brought it fully under control by Monday. The 1,261-acre fire is the largest to hit the region this holiday weekend.

A wind-driven brush fire broke out on Southwest Peninsula Drive on the Fourth of July, threatening a home and outbuildings before crews contained it at 1.2 acres. Officials credited the property owner's goat-grazing program for slowing the spread.

A months-long investigation by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team and the DEA culminated in seven arrests in Madras last week, including two Madras residents suspected of dealing commercial quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine across Central Oregon.

A fast-moving wildfire ignited July 4 on private land roughly 30 miles northeast of Madras, prompting Level 3 'Go Now' evacuation orders across parts of Wasco County. The fire reached 1,261 acres and was 50% contained by Sunday afternoon.

Jefferson County's annual summer burn ban took effect July 1, prohibiting all open burning through September 30. With fire activity already flaring across the region over the Fourth of July weekend, officials are urging residents to take fire safety seriously.