A red flag warning was issued Thursday for Oregon's Cascade Mountains and forest from Mount Hood south to Diamond Peak, the National Weather Service said.
Extremely hot temperatures near 100 degrees and east winds of 10 to 15 mph mean that wildfire could spread rapidly, meteorologists said.
"Conditions may be favorable for rapid fire spread which may threaten life and property. Use extra caution with potential ignition sources, especially in grassy areas. Outdoor burning is not recommended," the warning said .
The warning extends from Washington's Gifford Pinchot and through Mount Hood and Willamette national forests.
The warning ends at 11 p.m. on Thursday.
The alert means current wildfires could grow while any ignition could spread rapidly. All campfires are currently banned in all three of the national forests impacted by the red flag warning.
East winds are known for causing extreme fire behavior in Oregon and fueled major wildfire blowups in September of 2020 and 2022. However, these winds are not as powerful or widespread as those events, meteorologists said.
More: Explore Oregon Podcast: Why are east winds fueling wildfires in Oregon?
Most of Oregon's most active wildfires have been east of the Cascade Mountains this season, while two systems of heavy rain have helped allow firefighters to bring high levels of containment to most blazes in the Cascades.
Even so, firefighters are preparing active blazes for more activity on Thursday and emphasized the need to limit the number of human-caused fires.
“There is still potential for more fire starts and the season isn’t over yet,” said Chris Cline, fire protection division chief for the Oregon Department of Forestry. “The fewer human caused fires we have, the less strained our resources will be.”
More moderate temperatures and even some precipitation are expected to return next week.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast . Urness is the author of “ Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon ” and “ Hiking Southern Oregon .” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wildfires: Red flag warning issued for mountain forests due to heat, east winds
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