Oregon Faces Critical Fire Risk as 40 MPH Gusts Could Push Wildfires Toward Record Year

Fears have arisen that existing and new wildfires could spread after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a fire watch for central and eastern parts of Oregon on Saturday.

Warm temperatures with low humidity and strong winds are predicted between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturday for most areas east of the Cascade Mountains.

In certain parts, winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of up to 40 mph and humidity as low as 20% prompted the NWS to upgrade the weather watch to a red flag warning.

Conditions are favorable for rapid fire growth- the whole of central and eastern Oregon is under a critical risk.

Extreme wildfire danger will be present on Saturday for much of northeast and central Oregon, including Pendleton and La Grande, and as far south as Bend and west to The Dalles. Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warnings were issued for several zones.

Approximately 1.7 million acres have burned in the state this year, with just 200,000 acres shy of the worst fire year on record. Given the forecast, the record could be surpassed soon.

Fire crews are already fighting dozens of wildfires in the areas facing the weather warnings, including the Akawa Butte, Bench, Hagen, Grasshopper and Second Flat fires, and NWS urged Oregonians not to engage in any activities that could spark new fires over the weekend.