Just One Mile of Grasshopper Fire Perimeter Remains Uncontained
By Joshuah Albert
The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 15, 2026 — About a mile of the Grasshopper Fire perimeter remains uncontained, with firefighters working through steep slopes, hazardous trees and a patchwork of burned and unburned fuels in the Boulder Creek drainage as they work to secure the final section of the nearly 94,000-acre fire.
The Grasshopper Fire was reported at 97% containment Monday. Tuesday's update did not provide a new acreage, containment percentage, or personnel count.
Drier weather Monday allowed firefighters to resume projects that had been paused by Sunday's rain, including work on roads, dozer lines and trails.
The most significant remaining suppression work is in Boulder Creek on the southwest corner of the fire, where hand crews extinguished hot spots Monday.
Fire officials said the roughly mile-long stretch is the last portion of the perimeter that has not been contained.
The terrain presents several challenges. Slopes are steep, access is poor, hazardous trees remain, and there are abundant fuels capable of carrying fire.
A ‘dirty burn’ complicates mop-up
Fire officials described the Boulder Creek area as a “dirty burn” — a patchwork of burned and unburned ground where remaining embers can ignite nearby vegetation or duff.
That makes mop-up more labor-intensive than in areas that burned more uniformly.
Instead of checking and cooling a relatively clean fire edge, crews must work around numerous pockets of unburned vegetation, substantially increasing the amount of fire edge that needs to be inspected for lingering heat.
The work comes as the Grasshopper Fire approaches two months since it was sparked by lightning on July 23.
Repairing the footprint of firefighting
Across much of the remainder of the fire, crews have shifted from suppression to repairing damage caused during the firefighting effort.
Excavators are shaping exposed soil and establishing drainage along dozer lines to reduce erosion. Some of those lines were constructed during the first days and weeks of the fire before flames overtook them, leaving them well inside the current fire perimeter.
Incident managers are prioritizing repair work near communities and recreation areas.
Crews are also reducing fuels around roads, dozer lines, drop points and other openings created to support firefighting operations.
Chippers are processing smaller woody material while heavy equipment removes larger debris from areas around the fire.
Crews began repairing the Lookout Mountain Trail off Forest Road 4410 Monday, while other recreation areas affected by the Grasshopper Fire are being evaluated for repairs.
The work is being coordinated with resource advisers and representatives of landowners and agencies affected by the fire.
Warmer, drier conditions returning
A weak weather front is expected to cross the fire Tuesday, bringing temperatures in the upper 50s and a slight chance of light showers.
Warmer and drier weather is expected behind the front.
Fire officials warned that fire danger will increase as conditions dry. Although the Grasshopper Fire was started by lightning, officials are urging residents and visitors to follow fire restrictions and avoid activities that could spark another wildfire.
Evacuation notices remain in effect in portions of Hood River and Wasco counties, and a forest closure remains in place on the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Fire restrictions also remain in effect across the forest and surrounding region.
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