Willamette National Forest

A fire that sparked Sunday in southeast Lane County has grown to an estimated 3,500 acres.

Crews responded to several new wildfires in southeast Lane and eastern Douglas Counties Sunday after a series of thunderstorms rolled through.

Crews are making progress towards containing the Aubrey Mountain Fire east of Oakridge.

Fire officials revised the estimated size of the Aubrey Mountain Fire near Oakridge from 35 acres to 25 acres Saturday morning.

Crews are still fighting a wildfire, known as the Aubrey Mountain Fire, a few miles east of Oakridge that prompted evacuations and the temporary closure of Highway 58.

As of Monday evening, the Piper Fire was roughly 20 acres and was not threatening any populated areas.

Operations are expected to continue through the month, weather permitting.

The Trump administration’s mass firings of federal employees are being felt especially hard in rural communities across Oregon. While the potential impact to the state’s unemployment rate won’t be known until late March, workers who recently lost their jobs are already feeling the effects.

The DOGE-driven purge of federal workers is leaving Oregon’s National Forests with fewer caretakers.

The surprise move brings an abrupt end to a yearslong process to craft a nationwide plan that would better protect old trees that are increasingly threatened by climate change.

For those interested in a unique, outdoor family outing, permits are available to harvest Christmas trees from Oregon’s national forests.

As Oregon’s wildfire season continues to wind down, several areas in the Willamette National Forest have reopened to the public.