Akawa Butte Fire Update: The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Closes Two Roads As Evacuation Notices Increase (Photo) - 07/22/26

Deschutes County, Ore. -- Fire officials and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office have added new evacuation areas for the Akawa Butte Fire as of 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, and announced two road closures. Fire activity continued to shift to the South and Southwest throughout the night. The changes to evacuation levels include Forest Service land and private property north of the City of Sisters and generally in the area of Indian Ford Road, Camp Polk Road, and Wilt Road.  

These are current as of Wednesday, July 22^nd / 12 PM:

Road Closures:

• Indian Ford Road between Hwy 20 and Meadow View Lane
• Wilt Road north of Buffalo Drive

New Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation notices:

• Forest land (USFS and private) east of Stevens Canyon Road and south of a line from Stevens Canyon Road and FS 2050/390 spur, east approximately 4 miles to the National Forest Boundary, and South to Wilt Rd. Commonly referred to as the southern portion of Sage Flat. Excluding Fox Ridge Circle and Pine Ridge Road
• Private property on both sides of the northern portion of Indian Ford Road north of Indian Ford Creek to the Forest Boundary.

New Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation notices:

• Pine Ridge Road and Fox Ridge Circle off of Indian Ford Road
• Wilt Road north of Buffalo Drive to Big Buck Road.
• Northern single-lane section of Mountain View Road
• Areas between Indian Ford Creek and Camp Polk Road and Indian Ford Road from the 69600 Block of Camp Polk Road north to North Pine Street.
• USFS lands north of Cascade Meadows Ranch to Indian Ford Creek and west of North Pine Street, including the Zimmerman Butte area.

New Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation notices:

• Areas between Wilt Road and Whychus Creek from Camp Polk Road north to the 17700 Block of Mountain View Road, including Whychus Canyon Estates, Henkle Butte, and Sno Cap Vista.
• Areas between North Pine Street and Indian Ford Creek north of Lundy Road, including the Sage Meadow areas.
• The Hill Subdivision, Old Juniper Rd, Cattle Dr, Sundown, Lower Cattle Dr, and Omaha Drive.
• USFS lands north of Hwy 20, west of FS Road 11, and south of the Deschutes/Jefferson County line.
• Cascade Meadow Estates

EVACUTION NOTICE LEVELS

• Level 3 means GO NOW! Residents in this area should leave immediately. Do not take time to gather belongings or attempt to protect property. Drive carefully, use headlights, and follow traffic safety instructions. Do not return until officials announce it is safe.
• Level 2 BE SET means residents should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Conditions may change quickly, and residents should stay alert and keep essential items ready.
• Level 1 BE READY means residents should remain aware of the fire situation and be prepared if evacuation levels increase.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Akawa Fire information can be found at https://facebook.com/akawabuttefire
• The Red Cross continues to support evacuees with a shelter at Sisters High School: 1700 W. McKinney Butte Rd.
• The Pet Evacuation Team is available to support animal-related evacuation needs. They can be reached at 541-610-6628.
• Community members are encouraged to sign up for Deschutes Alerts to receive timely emergency notifications: https://deschutesalerts.org
• For a live map of evacuation areas, visit deschutes.org/emergency or protect.genasys.com
• For additional fire information and regional updates, visit: https://centraloregonfire.org

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