Massive fires burning in Oregon continue to grow as the state experiences one of its worst ever fire seasons, which shows no sign of easing up. The 283,000 acre Crosswhite East Fire is part of Central Oregon’s Rowe Creek Complex, totaling well over 300,000 acres with overall containment of 36%. A little north of that, the 7 fires of the Hay Creek Complex total over 201,000 acres. The Bench Fire and Akawa Fire north of Redmond total around 90,000 73,000 acres. The Second Flat Fire in Harney County is 102,000 acres and 18% contained. The Coleman Creek Fire southwest of Warm Springs Reservoir is 181,000 acres with no containment. The Big Grass Fire in the Jordan Valley of Southeast Oregon is 302,000 acres with 15% containment. The Fox Fire that forced a 70 mile closure of key thoroughfare Interstate 84 earlier this week has grown to 72,000 acres, but that fire is still dwarfed by many others in Oregon that we haven’t even mentioned here. Oregon’s fires total more than a million acres.
-Steve Gibson