A fire that started Monday morning on Crooked River National Grassland in southern Jefferson County was burning an estimated 2,500 acres as of Tuesday morning.
The Alder Springs Fire was burning grass and brush in steep terrain northwest of Terrebonne, on both sides of the Deschutes River. Investigators said Tuesday the fire was human-caused.
More than 2,600 nearby residents were under Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation orders. Level 2 (Be Set) evacuations stretched south across the Deschutes County line. An estimated 200 homes were threatened by the fire.
An evacuation point was set up at Highland Baptist Church in Redmond, and a large animal shelter is in place at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act to send in extra firefighting resources.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.