A fast-moving wildfire south of Prineville, Oregon, has forced hundreds of residents to evacuate under a Level 3 (Go Now!) order since Saturday evening.

The Highland Fire, first reported in Juniper Canyon near Mark Road and Southeast Highland Road, has already burned an estimated 1,500 acres and remains uncontained as of Sunday morning.

An additional 1,000 residents in the area are under Level 1 and Level 2 evacuation notices.

In response to the Highland Fire, Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on Saturday night — her fifth time this year — allowing the state fire marshal to deploy extra structural protection resources.

Sunday’s weather is expected to worsen fire conditions, with temperatures reaching 95–98 degrees Fahrenheit and wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour.

Check out OPB's wildfire and air quality information hub

State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple warned that wildfire risk remains high across Oregon with little relief in sight. “We are asking all Oregonians to be aware of the conditions and do everything they can to prevent sparking a wildfire,” she said in a statement on Sunday.

This fire season began early in the Pacific Northwest. In June, the Rowena Fire near The Dalles destroyed 56 homes in just a few days.

The human-caused Highland Fire is the second major wildfire in Central Oregon this summer, following the lightning-sparked Willow Fire, which has burned over 4,400 acres and was 30% contained as of Saturday morning.

So far this summer, more than 400 wildfires have burned over 2,000 acres of land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry, but officials report that 98% of fires have been kept under 10 acres.

Evacuees from Juniper Canyon are being directed to a temporary shelter at Eastside Church (3174 NE 3rd St., Prineville). Large animals can be relocated to Brasada Ranch (16976 SW Brasada Ranch Road, Powell Butte).

Crook County Sheriff is providing up-to-date evacuation information on their Facebook page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/13/highland-fire-prineville-conflagration/