Dufur Fire Update: Winslow Road Fire Stopped at 950 Acres

Photo from Oregon Department of Forestry showing burned fields near Winslow Road.

By Cole Goodwin

Dufur, OR, August 30, 2023 — The Winslow Road Fire has been successfully halted, as reported by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Central Oregon. The fast growing fire was propelled by winds up to 45 mph, and quickly grew to 950 acres of land. The terrain included a mix of timber, brush, and recently harvested wheatland. High winds initially made containment challenging, yet crews still managed to get a handle on the situation by 7 p.m. last night and reported no structures lost from the fire.

ODF officials credit the swift containment to the combined air and ground operation efforts. This included ODF’s Firebosses, Scoopers, and a Large Airtanker from the Campcreekfire assisting ground operations in halting the fire's advance. Among those who participated in the operations were the Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Dufur Volunteer Fire and Ambulance, Wamic Rural Fire Protection District, Hood River County Structural Taskforce, Mt. Hood National Forest- US Forest Service, Petersburn RFPA, USFS Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District, Dallesport/ Murdock Volunteer Fire Department, Wasco County Sheriff's Office, local landowners, FireBosses 231, 232, 2 WA DNR FireBosses, and aviation assets from the Camp Creek Fire.

All evacuation orders have been dropped. For those seeking live updates on the evacuation orders procedures, it is advised to monitor the official Wasco County Sheriff’s Facebook page or consult the provided Evacuation Map.

With the fire's progression stopped, the focus shifts to mop-up operations. Firefighters will concentrate on ensuring all hot spots are extinguished. Given the nature of the light fuels in the region, local units expect the fire to be in patrol status in a few days.