The Flat Fire, approximately two miles northeast of Sisters, Oregon, is estimated at 23,346 acres and is 67% contained. Despite ongoing critical fire weather—including hot, dry conditions and a chance of thunderstorms—established fire lines continue to hold, and suppression repair work is progressing steadily across the incident area.
Today, crews will continue patrolling the fire perimeter to identify and extinguish any remaining heat and smoke. Suppression repair efforts to support recovery are also underway. These include repairing dozer lines and installing water bars to reduce erosion. Resources assigned to the Flat Fire remain ready to support the local district with initial attack response if new fires emerge. Firefighters are making consistent progress toward full containment.
Oregon Department of Forestry’s Complex Incident Management Team 3 (CIMT) is preparing to turn the Flat Fire back to the local district. Suppression efforts will continue with a smaller incident management organization. Tentative transfer of command is 7 a.m. Thursday, September 4.
Firefighter Safety: Today marks the first day of school in the area. Expect increased traffic in the morning and afternoon. Please adhere to posted speed limits, stay alert for children and school buses, and exercise caution near schools and bus stops.
We also remind the public to be aware of fire crews and equipment operating in and around the fire area. Please give crews the space they need to work safely
Wildfire Prevention: Hot temperatures and low humidity persist in the area, increasing fire risk and contributing to potential fire growth; Fire danger remains high. If you’re spending time outdoors, be vigilant and help prevent new fires by following all local regulations:
Oregon Dept. of Forestry: https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html
Deschutes National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/…/info/public-use-restrictions
Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grasslands: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/ochoco/alerts
Oregon/Washington BLM: https://www.blm.gov/orwafire
Evacuations: Evacuations are managed by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Level 1 and 2 evacuations remain in effect under the direction of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Follow their Facebook pages for the latest information and updates. They can also be reached by phone: Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 388-6655, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (541) 475-6520.
Local Area Closures: To support fire operations and firefighter safety, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service request that people stay out of the fire area.
The Prineville BLM has reduced the emergency closure on public lands around the fire. Steamboat Rock and Buckhorn OHV areas, as well as trails around Crooked River Ranch, including Steelhead Falls, are now open for public access.
Remaining closures can be found under the Prineville tab on the following page:
The U.S. Forest Service removed closures on the Deschutes National Forest.
As a reminder, drone use near fires is both illegal and extremely dangerous to pilots working on incidents. If you fly, we can’t. FAA Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place for the fire area. All illegal drone use will be reported to law enforcement.
Smoke Report: The current smoke outlook for Central Oregon can be found on the following page: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/6436a95d
