Level 2 evacuation warning issued for Oakridge area in response to wildfire

Zach Urness, Salem Statesman Journal
Updated ·2 min read
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The Lane County Sheriff's Office has issued a level 2 evacuation warning for a portion of the High Prairie area north of Oakridge in response to a wildfire.

The area elevated to a level 2 — prepare to leave at a moment's notice — is east of High Prairie Road at milepost 5.5, including Dead Mountain, Mountain View, Huckleberry and High Prairie Loop in response to a brush fire,

A level 2 evacuation warning means you must prepare to leave and that this may be the only notice you receive.

Public safety personnel cannot guarantee they will be able to notify residents if conditions rapidly deteriorate. People are advised to closely monitor their phones, local media and www.LaneCountyOR.gov/HighPrairieFire for information.

Lane County Animal Services plans to open a large animal and livestock shelter on Thursday at the Lane Events Center. More information will be provided to people in the Level 2 evacuation area tomorrow.

The following area remains at a level 1- be ready - evacuation level:

  • High Prairie area east of North Fork Road and north of Westfir-Oakridge Road to milepost 5.5 on High Prairie Road

The warning, which means "be ready to go if conditions worsen," applies to the High Prairie area east of North Fork Road and north of Westfir-Oakridge Road, officials said.

"Please let your neighbors in the High Prairie know stay tuned to all emergency sources," Oakridge Fire & EMS posted to social media late Tuesday, urging nearby residents to help each other stay informed.

There are dozens of homes within a mile of the fire, mostly along High Prairie Road to the south and Mountain View Road to the east.

Few details were available about the fire causing the evacuation warning, other than that it was a vegetation fire, likely caused by the numerous lightning strikes that hit Oregon late Tuesday night.

An evacuation map can be found here.

A level 1 evacuation warning was issued for the area north of Oakridge on Wednesday morning due to a vegitation fire.
A level 1 evacuation warning was issued for the area north of Oakridge on Wednesday morning due to a vegitation fire.

"Level 1 means you should be aware of the danger that exists in your area, monitor local media outlets and telephone devices to receive further information," a news release said. "This is the time for preparation and precautionary movement of persons with special needs, mobile property, pets and livestock."

If conditions worsen, public safety personnel will make contact again using the emergency notification system, officials said.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Ur He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Level 2 fire evacuation warning issued for Oakridge