The Akawa Butte Fire in central Oregon continues to push south and west towards Sisters and Camp Sherman.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire was nearly 20,000 acres and just 3 percent contained.
Various levels of evacuations are in place in both Deschutes and Jefferson Counties, including some just outside Sisters city limits.
Steve Chapman with the Oregon State Fire Marshal Red Team said in a video message to the community Wednesday that it’s critical for people to leave immediately if their home is included in a Level 3 - GO NOW evacuation.
“It’s imperative that our firefighters aren’t impeded by you guys trying to get out at the last second when the fire’s coming down into your structures," he said. "We need to get in there and not have you in the way. Plus, it’s just for your safety.”
The fire was sparked by lightning last week. It’s one of many already burning across central Oregon, with fire officials concerned about the potential for more fires this week with thunderstorms in the forecast.
You can see a map of current wildfire evacuation zones at wildfire.oregon.gov or at the WatchDuty website.
A shelter for evacuees from the Akawa Butte Fire is available at Sisters High School, located at 1700 W. McKinney Butte Rd. in Sisters.
A community meeting about the fire will be held at the Sisters High School on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It will be live-streamed on the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Facebook page.
