Salmon Fire Update - July 26, 2026

Northwest Team 12   

July 26, 2026   

    Fire Information: (541) 407-5475, 8 AM - 8 PM    

 

Total Resources: 34 engines; 21 crews; 25 heavy equipment; 32 water tenders; 4 helicopters; 852 personnel

NW Team 12 completed their 17-day assignment on the Salmon and Olive Butte fires and is transferring command to the Albuquerque Zone Type 3 Team today at 7 PM. NW Team 12 would like to thank the surrounding communities for hosting our fire camps, incident management team, and firefighters for the last two-plus weeks, and work will continue with the new team. Firefighters remain alert for increased fire behavior with hot, dry, and windy conditions forecasted. Heavy helicopters were busy yesterday with water drops on both the Salmon and Olive Butte Fires, as well as assisting with initial attack on new fire starts near Burns, OR.

Salmon Fire: Size: 1,426 acres | Start Date: July 8, 2026 | Cause: Lightning | Containment: 60%

Firefighters quickly responded to and extinguished a spot fire yesterday on the northwestern portion of the fire, starting with water bucket drops from a Type 1 helicopter followed up by crews on the ground. Firefighters continue to expand mop-up operations, locating and extinguishing isolated pockets of heat while increasing the depth of containment around the fire perimeter. Crews are mopping up, gridding, and cold trailing to locate and eliminate remaining heat sources that could threaten fire control lines. Firefighters also continued work on contingency lines using a masticator, heavy equipment, and hand crews to improve these secondary lines should an increase in fire activity require operations in the area.

Olive Butte Fire: Size: 3,054 acres | Start Date: July 8, 2026 | Cause: Lightning | Containment: 60%

Recent warm, dry, and unstable weather reignited lingering hot spots in green islands of unburned fuel yesterday, causing spot fires near the line. Firefighters quickly contained those spot fires with water bucket drops from a Type 1 helicopter. On the northern flank, crews used a hoselay along a dozer line to access and extinguish isolated hot spots along the fire's edge. In Lost Boy Gulch, fire activity remained minimal as the hotshot crew's containment line continued to hold, and firefighters observed very little heat in the area. Firefighting resources continue to make good progress despite challenging weather and fuel conditions. There are a few remaining pockets of intense heat remaining along the northern and eastern fire perimeter. Last night marked the final night of dedicated night-shift operations. Incident managers have reassigned those night shift resources to work on structure protection and initial attack to strengthen response capability for any new fire starts.

Weather and Smoke: Temperatures will be slightly cooler today at 80-85 degrees with winds SW-W 7-10 mph, gusting to 15-20 mph. 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: Residents should be prepared for changes in evacuation levels as fire conditions can change. Baker County Sheriff’s Office recently reduced evacuation levels for the Granite and Greenhorn communities. Heavy equipment and fire vehicles are still working in these areas, so please drive with caution and be alert for unexpected fire traffic on narrow roads. To sign up for notifications in your area, visit Grant County Everbridge or Baker County Alert.

Closures and Safety: The Salmon and Olive Butte Fire Area Closure and map has been updated. The public is asked to avoid the fire closure area for everyone’s safety and to facilitate firefighting efforts. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire area. Unauthorized drone activity is prohibited under this TFR, as firefighting helicopters and aircraft cannot fly when drones are present.

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orumf-salmon-fire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalmonFireOR2026 

Salmon Fire Information: (541) 407-5475, 8 AM – 8 PM      Email: 2026.salmon@firenet.gov

Blue Mountains Fire Information: https://linktr.ee/2026.bluemountainfires