Oregon Fire Report – 7/18/2026

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Good morning,
We are covering the large lightning bust that pounded Oregon in the past few days, sparking many large fires, mainly east of US Route 97, and north of US Route 20. Generally north and east of Bend. Scroll down for new maps for the Evans Creek Fire, near Medford.

Lightning Fires and Recent Fire History

These maps start in Bend, and move north, in a clockwise fashion. They are based on IR overflights (night of 7/16 and 7/17, red outlines), and satellite heat detections (orange flame icons).
There have been many large fires in Eastern Oregon since 2020. These areas are shown in blue. While grassland and brushy areas can burn again, even after a year, many of the forested areas that have previously burned had their fuels seriously reduced by the past fire, and subsequent fires like these may burn with a lower intensity, or simply go out when they get to the recent burn.


Fires around Bend and Sisters. The Akawa Butte Fire, north of Sisters, has burned into the 2025 Flat Fire. It still could spread south in the unburned areas to the west of the Flat Fire, but will be slower in the year-old burn scar. Blue areas are recent fires, since 2019.
Madras is in the lower-left of this map. The Crosswhite/Cove Creek/Red Rock Fires are being called the ‘Rowe Creek Complex’. These may have burned over a combined 80,000 acres, based on heat satellites. We’ll have a better idea as better mapping becomes available. Blue areas are recent fires, since 2019.

The Dalles and Columbia River are at top left of this map. Blue areas are recent fires, since 2019.


Pasco and Pendelton are on the left edge of this map. Blue areas are recent fires, since 2019.

Pendelton and John Day are on the left edge of this map. Baker City is in the center. Blue areas are recent fires, since 2019.
Burns and US Route 20 are on bottom of this map. Coyote Fire has spread into the recent 2025 Camp Creek Fire. Blue areas are recent fires, since 2019.

East Evans Creek Fire

Here are some maps from last night’s infrared flight of the Evans Creek Fire, north of Central Point/Medford, Oregon.
In the past 24 hours, the main fire only spread within a firing operation on the NW corner, and slightly on the very north end. On the west edge it has backed down to the 34-3-3.2 There appears to be no new growth on the 7/16 spot fire off of the south edge.
The larger spot fire to the east (Board Mtn) had minor spread to the SW over past 24 hours, and a little growth to the north and east.
The smaller spot fire, above Trail, showed no spread.
MAP LEGEND:
Red lines are last night’s perimeter (midnight 7/17-7/18).
Yellow lines are from the night before last (7/16)
White lines are two days ago (night of 7/15)
Red lines are the new spread. Places where there is yellow on the fire’s edge have seen no new spread in past 24 hours.

The area on the SW of the Board Mtn fire without Hs on it appears to be open line. The lines with Hs on them are handline. XXXXXX is dozer line.