[CLSTR]
< Back to situation

[REVISION HISTORY]

Oregon and Washington wildfire risk and smoke advisory

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-07 22:52 UTC → 2026-08-14 01:03 UTC · added removed

Oregon and Washington wildfire risk and smoke advisory

In late July 2026 2026, the National Weather Service in Medford placed southern Oregon under a Fire Weather Watch and later issued a Red Flag Warning for Lake, Klamath, Jackson and eastern Modoc counties, citing dry lightning and strong outflow winds. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) repeatedly extended an air‑quality air-quality advisory covering more than ten counties as wildfire smoke kept AQI in unhealthy to hazardous ranges, prompting health officials to warn of eye irritation, cough, fatigue and other symptoms and to advise staying indoors, limiting strenuous activity and using masks. ranges. On July 30 30, the NWS office in Pendleton upgraded the watch to a Particular Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning for large parts of Oregon and Washington, with low humidity, high including the Kittitas Valley, Lower Columbia Basin, and Northern Blue Mountains. Conditions included west winds of 20–30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph and warm, dry air creating conditions for rapid fire spread. humidity as low as 15 percent. By early August August, the smoke plume had expanded. On 6 August 6, DEQ issued an advisory for 16 counties—including Baker, Crook, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Klamath, Malheur, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler—adding an ozone‑smog ozone-smog warning for the Portland metro area, Salem and Hermiston. Residents were again urged to stay indoors, keep windows closed and use air‑purifying filters. The U.S. Forest Service announced further reductions of reduced some temporary closures in the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa‑Whitman Wallowa-Whitman National Forests around near the Salmon and Olive Butte Fires, while a though modified closure remains closures remained for safety safety. By August 12, easterly winds drifted smoke into western Oregon and firefighting. Local authorities continued southwest Washington, though forecasters expected westerly winds to issue evacuation updates and warned of hazardous road conditions clear the air by Friday. In Eastern Oregon, DEQ extended air quality advisories for several counties through at least Friday afternoon. Additionally, a Red Flag Warning was issued for Baker Valley due to potential lightning ignitions from fallen trees and rocks. monsoon moisture, posing a risk for new fire starts despite predicted scattered thunderstorms.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-14 01:03 UTC Oregon and Washington wildfire risk and smoke advisory
  2. 2026-08-07 22:52 UTC Oregon wildfire risk and smoke advisory
  3. 2026-07-31 22:34 UTC Oregon wildfire risk and smoke advisory

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.