Jefferson County residents have been contending with hazy skies and smoke-filled air since Monday, Aug. 10, when the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory covering the county due to smoke from multiple wildfires burning across Oregon and Washington state. The latest advisory is expected to expire Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 12.
Jefferson County is one of more than a dozen Oregon counties included in the advisory, alongside Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Hood River, South Klamath, Lake, Union, South Wasco, Wallowa, and Wheeler counties. Smoke has been originating from a cluster of active wildfires across the region — a pattern that has lingered across Central Oregon for much of the past two weeks.
Monday's advisory was the latest in a string of rolling smoke events. A prior DEQ advisory issued Aug. 7 covered a broad swath of eastern and southern Oregon counties, and another issued Aug. 6 extended "until further notice" across more than 20 counties statewide. Jefferson County has been included in each round.
Health Precautions
Warm Springs Tribal Health physician Dr. Michaela Frye issued public health guidance this week urging residents to take smoke exposure seriously, especially those in vulnerable groups: children, seniors, pregnant women, and anyone with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
Dr. Frye's recommendations include:
- Keep windows and doors closed during high-smoke periods
- Replace or upgrade HVAC filters to trap fine particles
- Avoid any indoor burning, including candles and fireplaces
- Monitor symptoms — seek emergency care immediately for chest pain or difficulty breathing
Residents can track real-time air quality at AirNow.gov, PurpleAir.com, or the Oregon DEQ's dedicated smoke information site at OregonSmoke.org. A Spanish-language version is available at OregonHumo.org.
Burn Restrictions Remain Fully in Effect
Even as the air quality advisory is set to lift, Jefferson County's fire restrictions remain at their highest level. Jefferson County Fire & EMS suspended all burn barrel use effective Aug. 4, and open burning is currently closed countywide for the remainder of the 2026 fire season. Stage 2 fire restrictions are also in effect across the Warm Springs Reservation.
Violations of fire restrictions can carry both civil and criminal penalties. An interactive map of current Oregon fire restrictions is available at gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions. Questions can be directed to Jefferson County Fire & EMS at jcfr1.org.
Forecasters are monitoring conditions closely as temperatures remain elevated across Central Oregon. Residents are encouraged to stay informed through local weather services and KWSO 91.9 FM for the latest updates.