Oregon wildfires: Brush fire near Eugene Airport brings level 3 evacuations

Story updated at 10:57 p.m. on Monday, July 15

Here's the latest on wildfires and alerts statewide.

Evacuations downgraded on Eugene wildfire

The evacuations that had warned residents in the area of Green Hill Road south of the Eugene airport late Monday were downgraded to “Level 1” shortly after 7:30 p.m.

The fire danger was waning as crews worked to establish tight fire lines and put out small hot spots.

The fire was mapped at an estimated 115 acres.

The brush fire erupted Monday afternoon, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and alarming nearby residents. The fire, spotted at the intersection of Bodenhamer Road and Green Hill Road in Lane County, quickly spread.

The fire was first reported just after 4 p.m., with smoke visible from various vantage points throughout the region. Local fire departments swiftly responded to the scene with at least five engines, working to contain the flames and prevent further spread, according to initial alerts.

Officials advised residents are advised to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to conduct their operations safely.

Red flag warning due to lightning a big concern in southern Oregon

A red flag warning was in effect for much of southern Oregon until 9 p.m. Monday due to the possibility of "abundant lightning" across the Rogue and Illinois valleys.

"Lightning strikes outside of precipitation cores are possible and cause for concern," wrote the National Weather Service . High winds were also a concern.

Additional thunderstorms could be possible throughout the week.

In addition to the possibility of new fires, the conditions could cause existing fires, such as the Salt Creek Fire and the 15,000-acre Shelly Fire in Northern California, to grow. That could degrade air quality in southern and central Oregon.

Multiple counties under air quality advisory

Due to wildfire smoke, the Department of Environmental Quality announced an air quality advisory for six counties in eastern Oregon through Wednesday. Baker, Grant, Morrow, Northern Harney, Northern Malheur and Umatilla counties were issued advisories.

DEQ also expected intermittent smoke in Union and Wallowa counties. Air quality may improve Monday and Tuesday during the day but is likely to return overnight.

Cow Valley Fire grows to 132,000 acres, shows 'extreme fire behavior'

The Cow Valley Fire south of Baker City was reported at 132,528 acres Monday morning. The perimeter around the fire was 163 miles long. The edges remained south of Malheur Reservoir, east of Brogan and Jamieson and north of Bully Creek Reservoir.

Most of the fire growth was wind driven and occurred on the western edge toward East Prong Dry Creek. Firefighters worked to create a line around the fire on the northern, eastern and southern edges. Aviation resources dropped water and fire retardant on the western edges.

The forecast for the area called for slightly cooler temperatures and slightly higher humidity, but extreme fire behavior was still possible based on weather conditions, officials said on Monday.

Level 1 and 2 evacuation orders were issued in the area. Up to date information for evacuations can be found at bit.ly/4f2hNkU .

Falls Fire forces more national forest closures

The Falls Fire in Grant and Harney Counties about 13.5 miles north of Burns reached 64,225 acres by Monday morning and was at 0% containment. This fire has forced the closure of several areas in the Malheur National Forest. Emigrant Creek Campground , Falls Campground , Yellowjacket Campground and Delintment Lake Campground were all closed.

Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation orders remained in place in Grant and Harney counties. The Harney County Sheriff’s evacuation map can be found at bit.ly/4d1XvX2 for the most accurate evacuation notices.

The fire that started on July 10 had significant growth Sunday on the northeast and northwest corners of the blaze. Similar fire behavior was expected Monday.

Larch Creek Fire in Wasco County nears 20,000 acres

The Larch Creek Fire in Wasco County was estimated at 18,486 acres and 10% containment as of Sunday. High winds and low humidity were expected overnight.

The weather forecast showed a 30% chance of thunderstorms Wednesday evening, which could being additional ignitions.

Evacuation orders at levels 1, 2 and 3 remained in place. An evacuation map can be found at bit.ly/4bPdmae .

Lone Rock Fire reaches 57,000 acres

Another eastern Oregon wildfire — the Lone Rock Fire — had grown to 57,855 acres by Monday morning.

The fire east of Condon ignited over the weekend and grew quickly. Level 3 "go now" evacuation orders were issued. For a map of the evacuation, see this link .

Emma Logan is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast . To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal . He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wildfires: Brush fire near Eugene Airport brings level 3 evacuations