Incident Information:
Phone Number: 541-800-1280 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
Phone (Media Inquiries): 541-981-6087
Inciweb: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orprd-rowe-creek-complex
Facebook: facebook.com/rowecreekcomplex
Email: 2026.RoweCreekComplex@firenet.gov
FIRE AT A GLANCE
Rowe Creek Complex Total:
Estimated Size: 329,012
Location: 10 miles south of Fossil, Oregon
Containment: 62% acres
Cause: Lightning
West Zone Resources:
Total Complex Personnel: 1,783
County Evacuations:
Level 1-3 evacuations. Evacuations are determined by Crook and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices.
Road Closures:
For road closures, visit: https://www.tripcheck.com.
Incident Commanders:
Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 2/Oregon State Fire Marshal Blue Team
Highlights: Due to the inherent risks of ongoing firefighting operations, US Highway 26 will remain closed. The tempo and intensity of work in the corridor is such that opening the road would present an unnecessary risk to the public and firefighters. The prep work for the planned burnout includes clearing brush, felling trees, chipping and overhead helicopter traffic. As firefighters cut vegetation on the fire side of the road, they are dragging it across the road for removal. After the burning operation is complete, the throughway must be cleared of hazard trees, loosened overhead rock and other hazards before it can be opened to the public.
Public Meeting: A public meeting is planned for 6:00 p.m., Thursday at Barnes Butte Elementary School, 1875 NE Ironhorse Drive, Prineville. Members of the leadership team will present information and be available to answer questions from the public. For those who are unable to attend in person, the meeting will be livestreamed on Facebook at facebook.com/rowecreekcomplex.
Operations: On Tuesday, firefighters continued stabilizing the area around the previous night’s ignition operation. Other crews worked to prepare Forest Service Road (FSR) 3350 for a burnout operation. These tasks are meant to reduce vegetation between the uncontained fire in and around Mill Creek Wilderness and the eastern outskirts of Prineville. At the same time, other resources used handline, dozer line, and heavy logging equipment to connect the gap in Peterson Creek Road (FSR 3300-500) and widen it to form another contingency line. Last night crews addressed spot fires in the Mill Creek area. Farther north, in the area between Trout Creek and Cherry Creek, fire activity remained high. Crews, assisted by helicopters, successfully worked to keep it within lines in that area. Another attempt was made to reach the uncontained line on the west side of Camel Hump. Firefighters were more successful today than yesterday, but terrain and safety concerns kept them from declaring any additional perimeter contained.
Yesterday, Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) structural firefighters worked in the west and southwest portions of the Rowe Creek Complex, checking homes within the fire perimeter for any remaining hotspots that could pose a threat to structures. Crews continued supporting wildland firefighters by identifying and addressing residual heat near homes while keeping an eye on conditions throughout the day.
Today, crews will continue to gain depth on the burnouts along FSR 3350 and US Highway 26. In the area between Trout and Cherry Creeks, crews will carry on with their suppression efforts to keep that fire within established lines. The work on Peterson Creek Road will establish anchor points to secure firefighting efforts should they be required on that contingency line. Firefighters will continue working to establish safety margins necessary on appropriate sections of the perimeter.
As suppression efforts continue and the threat to structures decreases, two California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) strike teams are demobilizing today and returning to their home agencies. Three OSFM task forces and one Cal OES strike team remain assigned primarily to the Highway 26 corridor near the Marks Creek area, Hamilton Creek area and along Mill Creek Road. Firefighters will continue tactical patrols, protecting homes, and supporting their wildland partners as suppression efforts continue.
Notice: Evacuation statuses, closures (road, lands, airspace, etc.), weather, restrictions and air quality can all change quickly. It is important to pay attention to public service announcements which may come out as phone alerts, radio and TV announcements, and web sites. Many emergency management agencies (such as counties and utilities) offer sign-ups to ensure you are notified of hazardous situations in your community.
Evacuations: For county evacuation maps, check Crook County: https://protect.genasys.com/, Jefferson County:https://tinyurl.com/bdz88ufn, Wasco County: https://perimetermap.com/wascocounty-or and Wheeler County: https://arg.is/1aDrHm4. A Red Cross shelter is being operated at the East Side Church, 3174 NE Third Street, Prineville.
Weather: Weather continues to warm and dry. Today’s high will reach the upper 90s. Northwest winds will start calm and become 5 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. In lower elevations, localized winds, driven by diurnal and topographical effects, will continue to prevail. After the inversion burns off, expect smoke columns to form with little high-altitude wind to disperse them. Relative humidity will continue to fall as the week progresses. During the afternoon, high temperatures and low humidity will increase fire behavior. This weather trend will also extend the length of the burn period each day, so active fire behavior will start earlier in the day and extend later into the evening. There is no significant precipitation forecast during the next several days.
Closures and Restrictions: Firefighters are reporting increased traffic in closed areas. For public and firefighter safety, please stay out of these areas. Until cleared for reopening, these areas have hazards, such as fire-weakened trees, stressed roadbeds and bridges, loosened overhead rocks, etc. that are not immediately obvious to untrained eyes. Forest Service closure information can be found at fs.usda.gov/r06/ochoco/alerts. For Bureau of Land Management (BLM) closures, refer to blm.gov/programs/fire/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions. Units of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument are closed. For more information: nps.gov/joda/planyourvisit/conditions.htm. For information on fire restrictions on public and private lands in central Oregon, refer to https://centraloregonfire.org/fire-restrictions/. Road closures can be checked at tripcheck.com. A temporary flight restriction is in place in the area to ensure safe aerial firefighting operations. Unauthorized drone and aircraft operations are illegal in this zone. For more information, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3. If you fly, we can’t!
Safety: Air quality in the area has recently experienced every level from Good to Hazardous and can change rapidly. For detailed information, refer to https://fire.airnow.gov/#8/44.457/-120.394. For information on mitigating the effects of wildfire smoke, refer to epa.gov/air-research/smoke-ready-toolbox-wildfires. Please stay out of closed areas, follow evacuation orders and avoid activities that could spark another wildfire.