Oregon issues rare PDS Red Flag Warning as strong winds threaten wildfire growth

The National Weather Service warned Saturday of extreme fire weather across much of Oregon and Washington east of the Cascades, with Red Flag Warnings slated to begin in the morning. In several areas the agency added a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warning, a designation reserved for the most severe fire-danger conditions.

Meteorologists with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NWCC) said the forecast includes high temperatures, humidity near record lows and wind gusts that could exceed 50 mph. > "There’s a lot of fire on the ground. These powerful winds are going to push these fires, perhaps produce spotting of flames ahead of the front, and with those types of winds, you really can’t fight them, you can’t do anything from the air because of the extreme winds," NWCC meteorologist Bob Nester said.

Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) officials described preparations on the ground. Derek Gasperini, who is overseeing the Rowe Creek Complex’s west zone, said crews are bolstering fire lines, deploying dozers, hand crews and aircraft to meet the expected conditions. ODF spokesperson Jessica Neujhar noted that dry, receptive fuels combined with high temperatures and wind have already hampered containment efforts, and that the state is approaching the 2024 record of about 1.9 million acres burned.

The agency reported 30 large, uncontained fires and nearly 1.8 million acres burned as of Friday. While lightning is not expected over the weekend, officials warned that any spark could ignite new fires under the extreme conditions. > "You can have new fires start anywhere—from a spark from a chain at the end or back of a truck, or someone playing with fireworks—any kind of spark with this type of wind could be catastrophic," Nester added.

Utilities Pacific Power and Portland General Electric said they are monitoring the situation and have placed some power lines on enhanced safety settings near Mount Hood. ODF said more than 12,000 personnel are on fire lines, with rotations designed to limit fatigue.

Authorities urged residents to practice wildfire prevention, emphasizing that human-caused ignitions can be avoided even as natural lightning continues to pose a risk.