Wildfires in the U.S. state of Oregon in 2018 include the Boxcar Fire, Graham Fire, and Jack Knife Fire.
In July, one person was killed by the Substation Fire, which also destroyed the Charles E. Nelson House.
Background
"Fire season" in Oregon typically begins in mid-May and ends with the first rains that normally begins in late September. Drought, snowpack levels, and local weather conditions play a role in Oregon's fire season, particularly in Eastern and Southwest Oregon. During peak fire season from July to September, most wildfires are caused by lightning, while ignitions in the early and later parts of the season are related to humans. Warm, dry conditions in summer heighten the wildfire risk. After over 100 years of fire suppression and prevention of all fires, there is now an abundance of fuel. Climate change is leading to a reduced snowpack with an earlier and reduced snowmelt, so there is a higher risk for areas that receive wildfires.
Wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres, or produced significant structural damage or loss of life. Name County Acres Start date Containment date Status NotesRefBoxcar WascoJune 21, 2018July 6, 2018 Lightning-caused. Portions of U.S. Route 197 closed and evacuations issued for Maupin Graham JeffersonJune 21, 2018July 4, 2018 Lightning-caused. Threatened structures and burned near Lake Billy Chinook. Jack Knife ShermanJune 22, 2018July 6, 2018 Lightning-caused. Burned east of Maupin near John Day River. Klondike JosephineJuly 15, 2018November 6, 2018 Lightning-caused. Burned near the Illinois River and evacuations issued for Galice, Merlin, and communities along U.S. Route 199. Taylor Creek JosephineJuly 15, 2018 Lightning-caused. Evacuations near Rogue River and Grants Pass. Portion of Rogue River closed. Garner Complex JosephineJuly 15, 2018August 14, 2018Included Grave Fires, Pleasant Creek Fire, and Spencer Fires. Burned north of Rogue River with evacuations for Wimer. Hendrix JacksonJuly 15, 2018August 14, 2018Lightning-caused. Burned in Little Applegate River area southwest of Ashland. Evacuations for Ruch. Miles Jackson, DouglasJuly 15, 2018 Sugar Pine, South Umpqua Complex and Miles fire merged Timber Crater 6 KlamathJuly 15, 2018August 16, 2018Lightning-caused. Burned in northeast corner of Crater Lake National Park. Substation WascoJuly 17, 2018August 2, 2018Possibly human-caused. Burned close to The Dalles. Evacuations near Moro and Grass Valley. Killed one person and destroyed the Charles E. Nelson House. Long Hollow WascoJuly 26, 2018August 14, 2018 Caused by farming equipment. Evacuations along the Deschutes River. Lake Wallula UmatillaJuly 29, 2018July 30, 2018Unknown cause. Burned along U.S. Route 730. South Valley WascoAugust 1, 2018August 10, 2018 Human-caused. Evacuations for 500 people south of Dufur. Closed portion of U.S. Route 197 closed. Watson LakeAugust 15, 2018 Started from a vehicle conducting maintenance on Paradise Creek allotment. Burned in Fremont-Winema National Forest. Notes
References