A fire weather watch for Saturday has expanded to cover nearly all of Oregon and Washington east of the Cascades.

The National Weather Service alert for dry, hot and windy weather is in effect from Saturday morning through Saturday evening, and it now includes areas in Central and southeast Oregon where the Rowe Creek and Big Grass fires are burning more than 300,000 acres each.

“Windy conditions will develop with overlapping low relative humidity values Saturday across the Columbia Basin, Eastern Mountains, and Central Oregon,” the NWS alert reads. “Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.”

The alert now includes the areas where the Akawa Butte, Bench, Coyote, Fox, Grasshopper, Hagen, Hay Creek and Second Flat fires have put nearly 5,000 people under Level 3 “Go Now!” evacuations and burned more than 400,000 acres.

Statewide hotline activated for Oregon wildfires, dangerous fire weather in the days ahead

Many of the areas under the fire weather watch could see wind gusts up to 40 mph and humidity as low as 20%. People in those areas are urged to use extreme caution and stay updated on weather alerts and forecast changes.

‼️A fire weather watch is in effect Saturday for high winds & low relative humidity. Conditions can cause rapid, extreme fire growth.
Prevent human-caused wildfires! Stage 2 public use fire restrictions are in effect across Central Oregon public lands.
ℹ️https://t.co/iV2mig5T1a https://t.co/M21g5TQ1Jn

— Central OR Fire Info (@CentralORFire) July 31, 2026

Resources: Stay safe and informed during wildfire season with OPB’s wildfire guide at opb.org/wildfires. This resource offers essential safety tips and preparedness guidance to help you navigate fire and smoke events. This resource was created as part of our commitment to serving the public as wildfire seasons become longer and more dangerous.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/31/oregon-washington-wildfires-critical-fire-weather-watch/