Governor Declares Emergency Conflagration in La Pine Fire

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Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Darlene 3 Fire burning near La Pine, which was estimated to be 250 acres in size by 4pm June 25. By 9pm, the fire was estimated at 1,700 acres.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office had level 2 "Be Set" and level 3 "Go Now" evacuations in place near the fire, located just east of town, near Darlene Way and Ice Cave Road.

Evacuation areas as of 9pm Tuesday night:

 LEVEL 2 BE SET EVACUATIONS: South of Bassett Dr, west of the Railroad tracks, north of highway 31 is being downgraded to LEVEL 2 BE SET.

Level 2 BE SET Evacuations for the area east of Hwy 97 to the train tracks from Reed Rd. south to Bassett Dr. 

Up to date evacuation map: deschutes.org/emergency.

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Oregon State Fire Marshal

The Darlene 3 Fire started June 24 and quickly spread to hundreds of acres as of Tuesday afternoon.

The governor’s declaration allows the state fire marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist local resources. The Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized four additional task forces who were set to arrive Wednesday morning, according to a press release.

A temporary evacuation point has been set up at La Pine High School to help those displaced in the Darlene 3 Fire. A livestock and small animal shelter is set up at the La Pine Rodeo Grounds with support from the Pet Evacuation Team.

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“This fire has quickly grown within the last few hours, pushed by gusty winds and high fire conditions,” said Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple.

According to a Tuesday release, Kotek determined that threats to life, safety, and property exist and "the threat exceeds the firefighting capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment."

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Deschutes County Sheriff's Office

According to the Deschutes County Sheriff's office, a temporary evacuation point has been set up at La Pine High School to help those displaced. A livestock and small animal shelter is set up at the La Pine Rodeo Grounds with support from the Pet Evacuation Team.

Campgrounds in the area are also closed. From Central Oregon Fire Info:

"Prairie Campground, McKay Crossing Campground, Ogden Group Campground, and the Rosland OHV play area and associated trails are also closed. The Prineville District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has also issued an Emergency Public Land Closure. The closure includes all BLM-administered lands within National Forest Road 180 on the south, Highway 97 on the west, Paulina Lake Road on the north, and the Deschutes National Forest Boundary on the east. This closure is effective immediately and will remain in effect until such a time as conditions allow for safe use of the public lands."

DSCO encourages people to check the website, deschutes.org/emergency for the most up-to-date information on the fire.


This story will be updated.