Paradise, Hagen and Horse Ridge Fire Information - August 4, 2026

 Fire Information Phone: 541-970-7128 (8 am – 8 pm; voice only; texts will not be received)  

Email: 2026.paradise@firenet.gov  

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/ 

AirNow: https://fire.airnow.gov 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592064000400 

August 4, 2026 

Hot and Dry Weather Expected This Week 

Update: Smoke shaded the region yesterday and reduced fire activity. Firefighters have in total deployed 90 miles of hose around the three fires and used helicopters to drop 1.4 million gallons of water, with 51,000 gallons dropped yesterday alone. As of this morning the Hagen Fire has a 265-mile perimeter. Firefighters are preparing for the hot and dry weather coming later this week. There are 1,047 people assigned to all three incidents. 

The Paradise Fire (1,505 acres) is about 10 miles southeast of Walla Walla. The fire is established over the north side of Paradise Ridge and is working its way down slope to the north and west, with some growth on the south end of the fire. Firefighters are improving structure protection and developing direct and indirect line to strengthen containment. Crews are brushing and improving FS Roads 64 and 65 to serve as indirect containment lines, while locating opportunities to build hand line at the fire’s edge where possible. Yesterday the fire grew 187 acres. The fire is entirely within the municipal watershed for the City of Walla Walla and requires very careful suppression activity to preserve the integrity of the watershed. 

The Hagen Fire (40,390 acres) is about 4 miles southwest of Tollgate and about 12 miles northwest of Elgin and is 11% contained, growing 614 acres yesterday. The containment lines to the west at Rattlesnake Ridge and the northern line at Bingham Road remain secure. Firefighters have contained all the spots that crossed FS Road 31 with handline and are expected to finish putting hose around them today. Crews will improve the indirect line along this road and FS Road 3128 in anticipation of the advancing fire front as weather conditions become more conducive to fire growth throughout the week. 

The Horse Ridge Fire (860 acres) about 5 miles northeast of Meacham stayed within established lines and is now 98% contained. The fire is moving towards active patrol status with fewer resources needed as interior pockets smolder. 

A Community Meeting was held in Elgin on Sunday. It can be viewed here: https://sites.resi.io/ess-paradisemtg 

Evacuation Levels: Fire conditions can change rapidly. Evacuation levels are frequently adjusted in areas of Umatilla County, Union County and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. See the advisories at https://www.umatillacounty.net/departments/sheriffs-office/emergency-management/emergency-advisories. Follow the Sheriff’s Office on Facebook for evacuation updates: https://www.facebook.com/UmatillaCountySheriff  

Extreme Fire Risk: This is shaping up to be one of the most devastating fire seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Fuels are extremely dry as a result of the lack of snow over the winter. Follow all burn restrictions and use caution while recreating to reduce possible ignitions that could have catastrophic effects. Resources are stretched thin as almost 20,000 firefighters are committed to the Pacific Northwest alone. Firefighters have enough on their hands with lightning fires; they don’t need any human-caused ones. 

Weather and Fire Behavior: A warming and drying trend starting today is predicted to lead to critical fire weather conditions Wednesday and Thursday. The fire is expected to make short uphill runs and spotting up to one-quarter mile in the afternoon. 

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