Firefighters worked through the night on the Highland Fire, constructing a preliminary fire line around the entire perimeter of the fire burning approximately two miles south of Prineville. The fire remains estimated at 1,500 acres with 0% containment.
Crews from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) were joined by Crook County Fire and Rescue, which led structure protection and tactical patrols around homes and neighborhoods in the Juniper Canyon area near Mark Road and southeast Highland Road.
At 9:30 a.m. Sunday, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Blue Incident Management Team joined Crook County Fire and Rescue and the Central Oregon Type 3 Incident Management Team in unified command of the fire. OSFM mobilized its team and three structural task forces to Crook County Saturday evening after the Highland Fire broke out.
One task force responded Saturday through Immediate Response, with the incident management team and two additional task forces arriving Sunday morning.
The Highland Fire was pushed by wind on Saturday afternoon, prompting evacuations for several areas south of Prineville. Approximately 1,500 people remain under evacuation notices issued by the Crook County Sheriff’s Office.
Current Evacuations:
Community members can view evacuation zones and check their address at: tinyurl.com/CrookCountySheriffEvacuations.
A temporary evacuation shelter is open at Eastside Church, 3174 NE 3rd St. in Prineville. Large animals can be sheltered at the Rim Rock Riders arena at Brasada Ranch, 16976 SW Brasada Ranch Road in Powell Butte.
Firefighting Efforts Continue
Sunday’s firefighting efforts will focus on mop-up to secure the fireline and prevent further spread. Aerial resources are available to assist ground crews by cooling hot spots inside and along the perimeter of the fire. OSFM task forces are assessing structures and conducting mop-up around homes, while continuing point protection in anticipation of increased fire activity due to the weather.
The fire weather forecast calls for high temperatures between 95–98 degrees and wind gusts up to 20 mph this afternoon and evening.
The Highland Fire is the fifth time the Emergency Conflagration Act has been invoked in 2025.