Fire Update July 30, 3:30 p.m.: Grasshopper Fire tops 21,000 acres; Little Buck over 36,000

Photo taken of the Friend School Houde earlier this week with the Grasshopper fire burning in the background. Photo courtesy the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The Dalles, Ore., July 30, 2026 — The Grasshopper Fire burning in the Mount Hood National Forest west of Maupin has grown to 21,126 acres and remains 0% contained as firefighters continue building and reinforcing containment lines around threatened communities.

The fire gained nearly 3,000 acres since Wednesday's mapping and continues to burn actively in steep, rugged terrain. A total of 373 personnel are assigned to the incident under a unified command that includes California Interagency Incident Management Team 6 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

On Wednesday, firefighters completed a successful firing operation along Forest Road 27 to strengthen containment lines protecting the communities of Pine Hollow and Sportsmans Park. Crews also quickly contained several spot fires that developed along the eastern edge of the fire perimeter.

Firefighters on Thursday shifted their focus to improving containment lines across multiple sections of the fire. Crews are constructing indirect handline in the northwest portion of the fire near Flag Point, mopping up and securing fireline around Badger Creek on the eastern flank, strengthening containment along Forest Road 27, and reinforcing lines along the 4810 and 4811 road systems on the southern edge. On the western flank, firefighters continue direct attack where conditions allow while a contingency group develops additional backup containment lines.

Structure protection remains in place in the Pine Hollow and Sportsmans Park communities, where Oregon State Fire Marshal task forces continue working alongside wildland firefighters.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal on Wednesday formally invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act, allowing additional state resources to be mobilized for structure protection. The agency has already brought in firefighters from California, Utah and Washington through the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System, with Utah crews specifically assigned to the Grasshopper Fire.

State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said hot, dry and windy weather expected through the weekend will continue to challenge firefighters across Oregon.

The Wasco County Sheriff's Office continues to maintain Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 evacuation notices for areas surrounding the fire. A shelter remains open at Maupin High School, and residents are encouraged to monitor evacuation updates through the sheriff's office and the county evacuation map.

Smoke from the fire continues to create hazardous air quality in portions of south Wasco County.

According to the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program, Pine Hollow, Maupin and Tygh Valley can expect air quality ranging from unhealthy to hazardous during the day, with some improvement overnight. Communities closer to the fire, including Parkdale and Dufur, may experience unhealthy to very unhealthy air during the morning before improving later in the day.

Air quality is expected to remain good in The Dalles, while Wasco should see moderate conditions improving to good overnight. Condon is forecast to experience moderate air quality before improving overnight.

Thursday's weather forecast calls for highs in the mid-70s to mid-80s, relative humidity between 28% and 40%, and light morning winds increasing to gusts of about 12 mph during the afternoon.

Officials remind residents that smoke conditions and fire activity can change rapidly and encourage the public to stay informed through official fire and emergency management updates.

The National Weather Service put out another fire weather watch warning about critical fire weather conditions in the lower Columbia Basin on Saturday, Aug. 1

South Wasco County wildfire roundup: Little Buck, Ten Mile and Deep Canyon

Firefighters continue making progress on several major wildfires affecting or near Wasco County, with the Little Buck Fire remaining the largest active incident outside the Grasshopper Fire.

The Little Buck Fire, part of the Hay Creek Complex, has grown to 36,025 acres and is now 50% contained, according to Wednesday's incident update. Crews continue strengthening and securing containment lines while mop-up operations advance around the fire perimeter. The Cottonwood and Porcupine Ridge fires within the complex are now fully contained, allowing firefighters to focus resources on Little Buck.

The Ten Mile Fire, burning northeast of Madras near the Jefferson-Wasco county line, remains approximately 4,800 acres and is 36% contained after improved mapping. Firefighters have completed control line around much of the fire and continue securing remaining hot spots while evacuation notices remain in effect in portions of Jefferson and Wasco counties. Public land closures along the lower Deschutes River also remain in place.

Meanwhile, the Deep Canyon Fire, part of the Rowe Creek Complex near Antelope, is no longer considered an active threat. Fire managers report the fire has been fully secured and transitioned to patrol status, with resources reassigned to more active incidents. Wasco County officials report the Deep Canyon, Incident 432 and Crosswhite fires are now 100% contained, and evacuation levels around Highway 293 have been reduced or lifted in recent days.