A wildfire ignited Sunday afternoon, May 25, approximately five miles south of Clarno — near the Jefferson, Wasco, and Wheeler county lines — and rapidly spread through dry grass and brush to about 1,000 acres before firefighters could establish any containment.

By Monday morning, crews had prevented any additional spread, holding the Zen Fire at roughly 1,000 acres with 0% containment. No structures are threatened, according to the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, which has jurisdiction over the fire area.

Resources Deployed

The multi-agency response drew personnel and equipment from across Central Oregon and beyond:

  • United States Wildland Fire Service
  • Antelope Ashwood Rural Fire Protection Association
  • Oregon Department of Forestry (Fossil unit — one engine, one dozer, one water tender)
  • Prineville Hotshots and Vale Hotshots
  • One helicopter and one air attack aircraft

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

An Early and Active Fire Season

The Zen Fire is the latest sign that Central Oregon's 2026 fire season is arriving well ahead of schedule. The Oregon Department of Forestry placed the Prineville Unit — which covers Jefferson County — under a Regulated Use Closure on May 18, citing warm, dry, and windy conditions more typical of mid-June.

The closure bans open campfires, chainsaw use during afternoon hours, off-road driving on unimproved surfaces, fireworks, and blasting. ODF officials said low snowpack this winter and early drying of vegetation have elevated fire danger significantly.

Fire officials are urging all Central Oregon residents — including those in Madras, Culver, Metolius, Crooked River Ranch, and the Warm Springs Reservation — to stay alert and have evacuation plans ready as conditions are expected to remain volatile through the summer.

What You Should Know

  • Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire
  • For smoke and air quality updates, visit fire.airnow.gov
  • For Central Oregon fire updates, visit centraloregonfire.org
  • Open burning is prohibited throughout Jefferson County until further notice

Updates on the Zen Fire are expected as crews reassess conditions this morning.