In response to the wild blaze that has engulfed over 3,500 acres in Wasco County, Governor Tina Kotek activated the Emergency Conflagration Act to bolster firefighting efforts against the Rowena Fire. The activation, which took place on Wednesday, enables the state fire marshal to deploy additional resources courtesy of the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System, as local crews have been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the inferno, according to the official announcement.
The request for aid was prompted by the Wasco County Fire Defense Board chief, who sought additional support for safeguarding lives and structures; the state fire marshal's agreement cleared the path for the governor's declaration, despite the efforts crews achieved certain successes but the fire, fueled by strong winds grew expansively, it raced across the land Wednesday night covering an expanse of roughly six miles. Executive Order 25-06, detailing this decision, can be found here.
On the ground, local firefighters are passing the baton to the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Green Incident Management Team and the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 2, who are equipped to manage the escalating crisis. As of the last update, the fire has forced nearly 4,000 homes into different stages of evacuation, with looming concerns over potential structural damage.
Residents seeking information on evacuations are urged to visit the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page or sign up for alerts specific to their area through the provided links. Furthermore, updated information on the blaze can be obtained on the Rowena Fire 2025 Facebook page, where the community is coming together to pool resources and information in these tumultuous times. The Sheriff's Office has been diligently updating concerned citizens through social media and their dedicated evacuation update page. Continued coverage and the latest developments on the Rowena Fire are available to the public on government websites and related social media outlets.
