Firefighters continued to battle the 21,971-acre Flat Fire northeast of Sisters overnight, working around the clock to slow the fire’s spread and protect communities.
Night crews established initial fire lines with dozers and hand tools along the southern head of the fire and made progress on the north and west perimeter. Crews also burned unburned vegetation in the Carcass Creek area to reduce fuels.
Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces remained active in neighborhoods on the south and southwest sides of the fire and at Crooked River Ranch. Firefighters focused on suppressing flames around homes, extinguishing hot spots, and monitoring for embers.
“We were able to cut in some rough breaks around the fire to stop the spread around key areas and homes,” said Eric Perkins, operations section chief with Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 3. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us to improve lines and tie them together. We’re fighting this fire aggressively and safely, in cooperation with a lot of partners to save homes in these communities.”
Sunday, firefighters face challenging conditions with a red flag warning in effect for hot, dry, and unstable weather. Temperatures are expected to reach triple digits. Ground crews will continue to coordinate with aircraft to slow the fire’s forward progress and protect threatened structures.
“With the challenging weather conditions and changing winds, firefighters coordinated extremely well with all resources in the air and on the ground, defending homes and properties,” said Damon Schulze, field operations chief for the Red Team. “The teamwork that is going on here is very streamlined.”
Type I strike teams are reinforcing protection in residential areas, and crews are mopping up behind the fire front. Additional personnel and resources are arriving to increase firefighting capacity.
Community Meeting
Incident officials will host a community meeting on Monday, Aug. 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Sisters High School, 1700 W. McKinney Butte Road. Local and incident officials will provide updates and answer questions.
Evacuations and Closures
Evacuation levels remain in effect under the direction of the Deschutes and Jefferson County sheriff’s offices. A 24-hour evacuation point is open at Highland Baptist Church, 3100 SW Highland Ave., Redmond. The Jefferson County Fairgrounds is available for large animals.
The Bureau of Land Management has implemented area closures to support firefighter safety. Details are available on the BLM website.
The public is reminded that drones are illegal and dangerous near wildfires. Temporary flight restrictions are in place, and all unauthorized drone use will be reported to law enforcement.
Flat Fire at a Glance
- Start date: Aug. 21, 2025
- Size: 21,971 acres
- Containment: 0%
- Cause: Under investigation
- Resources assigned: 22 hand crews, 92 engines, 34 water tenders, 15 bulldozers, 10 helicopters, 801 personnel
Updates are available on the Flat Fire Facebook page.