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: 371,548
Location: 10 miles south of Fossil, Oregon
Containment: 84% acres
Cause: Lightning
Resources:
Total Complex Personnel: 1,604
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: Throughout the night shift firefighters took direct suppression tactics along Ranger Station Road. Spot fires continued to jump over the lines. More lines are being built.
Operations: Firefighters worked to contain spot fires and slop-overs on the south side of the Ochoco Ranger Station Road. North of the road, fire expanded to the northeast, constrained by the road on the south and Mark’s Creek Fire scar on the north. Firefighters continued preparing Forest Service Road (FSR) 2610 and FSR 2670 for containment lines to tie this section of the fire back in with US 26. Preparations were started on Wolf Creek Road as a contingency line if needed. To the west, work continued to hold lines near Salmon Creek Road, but by this morning fire had advanced farther southwest. Additional lines are being prepared to block the fire’s advance in that direction. Fire is backing down the slopes east of Mill Creek and will be suppressed when on defendable ground. Structure protection is in place.
A hotshot crew was deployed to the Cherry Creek and Tompkins Pass Road vicinity. The crew was successful in keeping the fire within planned lines along those roads. Juniper, which is burning in the area, is problematic because its bark produces long, stringy embers when it burns. These embers float in the air across lines and can cause spot fires if they fall in receptive fuel.
Today, firefighters will continue Sunday’s efforts. Critical areas include control lines in the Wildcat Mountain area and the lines along Cherry Creek and Tompkins Pass. Primary objectives will be to keep the fire within established control lines while scouting and preparing contingency lines. When safe and appropriate, vegetation removal, chipping, and strategic firing operations will all be employed in this effort. Surge groups are staged and will respond quickly to areas of need.
Additional structural resources continue to arrive, including firefighters and apparatuses from California. During the day shift, structural operations will include three task forces containing 5 variable apparatuses, operational leadership and agency oversight each, and one strike team containing 5 of the same apparatuses with operational leadership and agency oversight; night operations will include two task forces and one strike team. Structural resources are concentrated in Mill Creek and along Ochoco Creek Road, where crews are engaging active fire around structures and mopping up after the flame front passes. Additional support from the Oregon Department of Forestry is also strengthening the response, helping incident leaders use resources more effectively across the fire’s most active areas while maintaining flexibility as crews respond to challenging and erratic fire behavior.
The National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level is currently at PL5, the highest level. This level is based on fire activity, weather, fuel conditions and resource availability. Under PL5, “Full commitment of national resources is ongoing.” Resources include personnel and equipment: air tankers, hotshot crews, engines, tacticians, dozers, fellers and even cooks. There are currently 94 large fires being suppressed in the country. Each of those, including Rowe Creek Complex, vies for what limited resources are available. High value and highly effective resources, such as aircraft, Hotshot Crews and Type 1 engines, are in great demand. Agencies in charge of prioritizing resources make difficult decisions regarding which fires get which resources. Under the current conditions, no fire gets everything they ask for. Meeting objectives on a 500-mile perimeter fire is challenging with a team of 1,600 personnel.
Property Protection: If a dozer, crew bus or fire engine shows up at your property, it is not necessarily cause for alarm. Firefighters are taking proactive steps to protect structures in the area. Before firefighters arrive, property owners can take steps to make their property more resilient in wildfire. Simple actions like removing flammable items, such as deck furniture, woodpiles and plants, from within 5 feet of their homes or under their porches or decks, can make a difference. For more ideas, visit oregondefensiblespace.org. On that website, you can also request a free educational home assessment from an Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Deputy State Fire Marshal or a member of your local fire agency.
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: Today will be slightly cooler than Sunday, with slight improvement in relative humidity. The forecast high is 84 degrees. Wind will be mild with sustained northwest winds up to 7 mph and gusts as high as 15 mph. Winds at ground level are driven by the effects of temperature and terrain and can change direction and intensity quickly. This can cause spot fires in unexpected directions from the main fire. Firefighters have been briefed to remain vigilant to this effect. Relative humidity recovery last night was good, as high as 55% in areas. Today, it could dip to 18%. In these conditions, fire activity will be very high most of the day. Smoke columns are likely to develop. 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, there are 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.