The Cram Fire in Central Oregon has grown to more than 90,000 acres east of Madras.
That’s according to fire officials who estimated the latest acreage after conducting an infrared flight Thursday afternoon.
Multiple evacuation notices have been issued, including Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation orders for several areas in Jefferson and Wasco counties.
The blaze is now the largest active wildfire in the Western United States and the top priority for resource allocation, nationally, according to Simone Cordery-Cotter with the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Despite the fire growing over 13,000 acres overnight Wednesday amid poor weather conditions, fire officials reported some progress in containing the northern part of the fire along Highway 293. But windy conditions remain a top concern for crews.
A National Weather Service red flag warning remains in effect until 10 p.m. Friday with steady winds forecast up to 15 miles per hour with gusts up to 25 miles per hour. According to fire officials, winds are expected to decrease overnight Thursday but may pick back up on Friday.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging people who live near the fire to prepare to be away from their homes for three days and to gather important paperwork — in case they need to leave in a hurry.
More than 1,300 people are under Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation orders across Jefferson and southern Wasco County.
The Deer Ridge Correctional Institution holds over 1,000 people in custody and is about four miles from the fire’s edge. It’s also a few miles from Madras. A spokesperson for the prison said they are clearing vegetation, staging back up water and setting up air filters to help manage indoor air quality.
“We are not in the stage of planning on moving individuals in our custody,” spokesperson Kaylee Hofman said by email.
The correctional institution and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office have been in contact, Cordery-Cotter said.
According to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, more than 600 structures and 541 homes are threatened by the fire, but no damage or structure loss has been reported.
Highway 97 reopened Wednesday after the fire forced it to shut down earlier in the week.
The Cram Fire, which broke out Sunday afternoon, has multiplied in size daily, now enlisting over 570 personnel to battle the flames.
The Red Cross has set up a temporary shelter at Jefferson County Middle School at 1180 SE Kemper Way in Madras. A large animal shelter is also open at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Madras. Officials say that the animal shelter will remain open until Friday.
According to the NWCC, the fire is human-caused and remains under investigation.
The fire is 0% contained as of Thursday afternoon.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.