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: 373,783
Location: 10 miles south of Fossil, Oregon
Containment: 84% acres
Cause: Lightning
Resources:
Total Complex Personnel: 1,494
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 Red Team
Highlights: Containment grows as crews keep the Rowe Creek Complex within established containment lines. Work continues to add depth to additional uncontrolled lines.
Operations: Thursday’s storm brought lightning to the area. A new start is thought to have been started by three lightning strikes in the area north of Camel Hump. Named the Rosenbaum fire, it grew to approximately 200 acres with short-range spotting as it climbed up the steep canyon wall. Resources from Rowe Creek Complex responded last night, assisting local authorities. Other lightning strikes were recorded closer to the Rowe Creek Complex perimeter but have not resulted in reports of new starts at this time.
Crews connected the containment lines between Mill Creek and US 26. This was achieved using a mix of hand, dozer and black line. Aircraft supported this effort most of the day. Making this connection in tough terrain was a hard-won success. Work to add depth to this line is ongoing and difficult, often done by hand. It has the potential to become an important component of the total containment of the fire. Preparations are being made on US 26 and Mill Creek Road to serve as a contingency line in the same area.
Along US 26, crews continued to remove fuel from the corridor by chipping and physical removal techniques. Work proceeded without incident as the highway was opened to traffic. When using the highway, please follow posted speed and traffic ordinances. Do not stop along the roadway. Be aware of heavy equipment operating in the area. Forest Service Road (FSR) 100, FSR 2610 and Ranger Station Road off US 26 are all closed to the public.
Firefighters continue to put depth on FSR 100 as a primary line between US 26 and Ranger Station Road. Work also continues building up FSR 2610 as a contingency line in the same area. Along Ranger Station Road, work to contain the spot fires and slop-overs continued. These trouble spots had already been lined but crews were adding depth to those lines and much of the perimeter had been set with hose lays. In the same area, Central Electric Co-op continues their work replacing poles and lines to restore power to more of the area.
Interior to the fire, roads crews are working to keep important transport routes open for firefighting and emergency response traffic. Fire-weakened trees continue to fall, sometimes hampering or completely blocking these routes.
Structural task forces continue working around the clock to locate and extinguish smoldering fuels within 200 feet of structures. Firefighters are aggressively digging out stumps, logs and other hot spots, cooling lingering heat and increasing the depth of mop-up around homes. This work strengthens structure protection and helps create safer conditions for residents as evacuation levels are reduced and access to residential areas is restored.
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: On Thursday, Wheeler and Jefferson Counties reduced some of their evacuation statuses. It remains a top priority to reduce evacuation status for those displaced from their homes as soon as deemed safe to do so. Watch for further announcements of evacuation status reductions. 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: Today’s high is forecast to be 83 degrees. Relative humidity is expected to recover at night to 75% with minimum daytime relative humidity at 28%. Northwest winds will be mild, around 6 mph, with gusts to 15 mph. In canyons and around ridges, wind can be less predictable, influenced by terrain and thermal differences. There is a 15% chance of precipitation today, but little measurable precipitation is expected. Thunderstorms, with their attendant risks of lightning and outdraft winds are possible again today. Upcoming weather is forecast to be favorable for firefighting.
Closures and Restrictions: For current road closures information, see tripcheck.com. Firefighters report increased traffic in closed areas. For public and firefighter safety, please stay out of these areas. Until cleared for reopening, hazards exist that are not immediately obvious to untrained eyes. Ochoco National Forest 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: Fire suppression activity will add traffic to roadways, so stay alert to conditions while driving. Stay out of closed areas, follow evacuation orders and avoid activities that could spark another wildfire. Air quality in the area has 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.