The Round Butte Fire, burning approximately five miles west of Madras on the Crooked River National Grassland and adjacent private land, remained at 1,039 acres as of Monday evening and is now 7% contained — a modest but meaningful step forward after igniting Saturday afternoon under dangerous fire weather conditions.

Command of the fire transferred at 7 a.m. Monday to the Southwest 4 Complex Incident Management Team, which is simultaneously overseeing the Bench Fire burning in the region. The Central Oregon Type 3 Team, which had held unified command with Jefferson County Fire and EMS since the fire’s ignition, handed off following two days of ground work focused on mop-up and control line construction.

Weekend Firefighting Effort

The fire ignited at approximately 2:56 p.m. Saturday on the south side of Round Butte, driven east by afternoon winds during a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) fire weather event. Within hours, the blaze had grown to an estimated 1,200 acres before aerial resources — including large air tankers, single-engine air tankers, and multiple helicopters — helped slow its spread.

“Despite breezy, dry conditions associated with the Particularly Dangerous Weather situation, firefighters and aerial resources successfully slowed the fire’s spread by early evening,” according to Central Oregon Fire Information.

Decreasing winds and cooler overnight temperatures aided ground crews, who used direct suppression tactics and constructed initial control lines. Sunday was spent mopping up heat pockets and strengthening the perimeter. An Oregon State Fire Marshal task force is staffing the fire overnight.

Evacuation Zones Remain Active

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has issued a tiered set of evacuation levels for areas near the fire:

  • Level 3 – GO NOW: Immediate surrounding area of the fire perimeter
  • Level 2 – BE SET: Areas including portions of Northwest County 10th
  • Level 1 – BE READY: Broader surrounding areas including portions of Southwest County 16

As of Tuesday morning, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office also updated evacuation levels for two additional fires affecting parts of the county: the Akawa Butte Fire and the Bench Fire. Residents are encouraged to monitor the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and the official evacuation map for the latest zone designations.

Stage 2 Fire Restrictions in Effect

Central Oregon public lands have been under Stage 2 fire restrictions since July 22, banning all campfires on public lands. The restrictions apply across the Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest, Crooked River National Grassland, and BLM lands throughout the region. Backyard burning and agricultural burning bans remain in effect across multiple counties.

What You Can Do

  • Do not fly personal drones near active wildfires — drone interference has grounded aerial firefighting resources on multiple fires this season.
  • Check air quality at fire.airnow.gov before outdoor activity.
  • Monitor fire updates at centraloregonfire.org or follow @CentralORfire on X/Twitter.
  • Call 9-1-1 to report a new wildfire.

The Round Butte Fire is one of several active wildfires currently burning in and around Jefferson County. Residents in evacuation zones should have go-bags ready and stay informed as fire conditions can change rapidly during afternoon heating hours.