BMIDC MORNING BRIEFING | ||
August 7, 2026 | ||
8/06 (NEW) INITIAL ATTACK | Fires | Acres |
Umatilla National Forest | 0
| 0 |
Wallowa Whitman National Forest | 0 | 0 |
Vale/PRD District BLM Baker Area | 0 | 0 |
NEO Oregon Department of Forestry | 0 | 0 |
WA DNR Snake River Unit | 0 | 0 |
BIA Umatilla Agency | 1 | 3 |
Total | 1 | 3 |
INCIDENT SUMMARY | ||
Previous Day 8/06/2026
| ||
Salmon Fire and Olive Butte Fire Daily Update August 6, 2026
Albuquerque Zone Team 3 IMT
Information Phone: 541-407-5475 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
Total Resources: 21 engines; 9 crews; 8 heavy equipment; 24 water tenders; 405 personnel
Mop-up operations and repair work will continue across both fires today. Fire crews are making good progress with repair efforts. Crews continue to assess the placement of equipment and backhaul items no longer needed.
“Heavy equipment and fire vehicles are still working in these areas, please drive with caution and be alert for unexpected fire traffic on narrow roads,” Incident Commander Lino Baca.
Salmon Fire- Size: 1,426 acres | Start Date: July 8, 2026 | Cause: Lightning | Containment: 79%
Fire crews will begin chipping operations within the southeastern portion of the fire in the next few days. Chipping will bring increased heavy equipment traffic into the area.
Olive Butte Fire- Size: 3,092 acres | Start Date: July 8, 2026 | Cause: Lightning | Containment: 75%
Fire crews will begin repair work in the Lost Boy Gulch working to bring hand line back to more natural conditions. A small flareup occurred today in an interior pocket of green. Crews will monitor this island for the next several days.
Weather: Warming and drying trend continues to grip the area with extreme weather conditions. A very unstable atmosphere will support very active fire behavior.
Smoke: The NE Oregon Daily Smoke Outlook at the Oregon Smoke Information page covers the Salmon and Olive Butte Fires. For the latest information regarding smoke and air quality, check AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.
Evacuations: Evacuations were recently changed. Stay up to date on evacuation orders by visiting the Baker County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Property owners may access property by showing identification at check points. To sign up for notifications in your area, visit Grant County Everbridge or Baker County Alert.
Closures and Safety: Closures remain the same. Check out the Salmon and Olive Butte Fire Area Closure and map. The public is asked to avoid the fire closure area for everyone’s safety and to facilitate firefighting efforts.
Additional Resource:
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orumf-salmon-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalmonFireOR2026
Email: 2026.salmon@firenet.gov
Paradise, Hagen, and Horse Ridge Fires
Umatilla National Forest
Fire Information 541-970-7128, 2026.paradise@firenet.gov
August 6, 2026
Northern Rockies Team 6, Incident Commander Rich Cowger
Hagen Fire
Location: 12 miles northwest of Elgin, OR
Size: 40,803 acres
Completion/Containment: 11%
771 personnel
Paradise Fire
Location: 10 miles southeast of Walla Walla, WA
Size: 1,665 acres
Completion/Containment: 0%
355 personnel
Horse Ridge Fire
Location: 5 miles northeast of Meacham, OR
Size: 860 acres
Completion/Containment: 98%
4 personnel
Key Message: Team Transition and Hot and Dry Weather
Thursday Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management (CIM) Team 6 took command of the fires, following in the strong footsteps of Northwest CIM Team 7 who returns home for some rest. Northern Rockies Team 6 brings in an equal level of skill, training and professionalism to the management of these fires.
Current Status:
Firefighters have been preparing all week for the hot weather expected Thursday through Saturday. With the higher temperatures and lower humidity, more fire activity is expected, especially on the Paradise Fire where the Mill Creek drainage aligns with expected winds. Helicopters have dropped over 1.5 million gallons of water on the three fires over the past three weeks and will continue to assist in fire suppression.
On the Hagen Fire, the Rattlesnake Ridge fire line to the west and Bingham Road fire line to the north are still holding. Crews are looking to improve road preparation along FS Road 3128 today and patrol the fire line as fire weather conditions worsen over the next few days. The “fingers” on the southeast side of the fire are expected to grow together as the fire consumes available fuels. A new structure protection group is evaluating structures west of the 204 road.
The Paradise Fire made gains to the west last night and has established in the Mill Creek drainage. Fire Managers are assessing growth and spread and developing strategic actions to protect the values at risk. Firefighters are reinforcing structure protection to the north and northwest of the fire and are improving FS Roads 64 and 65 as indirect fire lines while looking for opportunities to engage the fire directly. The fire is entirely within the municipal the watershed for the City of Walla Walla and requires very careful suppression activity to preserve the integrity of the watershed. Umatilla and Walla Walla Counties placed nearby evacuation zones in Level I – Ready status. See the evacuation links below for more information.
The Horse Ridge Fire stayed within established lines and is in patrol status.
Weather and Fire Behavior
The next few days are expected to have elevated fire risk if the smoke clears and sunlight reaches the critically dry fuels on the ground. If the sky clears mid-day, the fire is expected to make uphill runs with spotting from one-quarter mile up to a half mile when there is topography wind alignment in the afternoon.
Closures and Special Messages
Evacuation Levels: Fire conditions can change rapidly. Evacuation levels are frequently adjusted. For joint updates from Umatilla County, Union County and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, follow the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UmatillaCountySheriff
For Walla Walla County Emergency Management updates, visit: https://www.facebook.com/WallaWallaEM
Smoke Outlook: For current smoke reports visit https://fire.airnow.gov. For detailed northeast Oregon air reports, visit https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/61e48530. For southeast Washington, visit https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/bb27fabc
Fire Restrictions: The Umatilla National Forest has issued public use restrictions https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/umatilla/alerts/phase-c-public-use-restrictions for smoking, off-road travel, and chainsaw use across the entire national forest.
Umatilla National Forest Closures: Forest officials have issued the following Forest Closure Order, https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/r06/umatilla/publication/alerts/06-14-06-26-09_Hagen-HorseRidgeFire_FullOrder.pdf for public safety and to facilitate firefighting operations. Areas included in the closure include Corporation Guard Station and Trailhead, North Fork Umatilla Trailhead, Umatilla Fork Day-Use Area and Campground, Buck Creek Cabin, and Buck Creek Trailhead.
Air Space Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the wildfires. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. http://knowbeforeyoufly.org
