Oregon Department Of Foresty Deploys Additional Complex Incident Management Team To Manage More Central Oregon Wildfires
- 07/18/26
PRINEVILLE, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is deploying its Complex Incident Management Team 3 (CIMT) to manage the Brewer and Box Springs wildfires in the Prineville and Sisters area. This is the third and last ODF-staffed team the department has available. The deployment is necessary due to the unusual early season “resistance to control” nature of these lightening caused fires in central Oregon.
The Brewer fire started Wednesday and grew to estimated 14,000 acres today; on Thursday it was at 3,000 acres. It is currently managed by ODF CIMT 2, but Team 2 also has the Pilot and Akawa fires. So, ODF CIMT 3 will take over the Brewer fire and the Box Springs fire. Box Springs was only 40 acres this morning but has grown rapidly. It is burning in timber and grass. ODF firefighters describe some of the terrain as steep nasty canyons and draws which make it difficult to battle.
ODF fire managers stress patience and safety as resources are stretched thin and firefighters have been putting in long days and nights. All local resources are committed but additional air and ground firefighting resources have been ordered through partnerships with other states. However, it may take a while to fulfill all the requests since the Northwest region has multiple large fires asking for additional resources.
The fires managed by both ODF CIMTs in central Oregon have evacuation orders that are issued by county sheriff’s offices, to see the latest and to set up alerts from the counties go to: https://centraloregonfire.org
The public is urged to avoid these areas due to heavy firefighting traffic and possible road closures.
ODF CIMT 3 is scheduled for an in-brief tomorrow at noon and then take over management of the Brewer and Box Springs fires at 6 p.m. The incident command will be in Prineville.
Oregon Department Of Foresty Deploys Additional Complex Incident Management Team To Manage More Central Oregon Wildfires
- 07/18/26
PRINEVILLE, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is deploying its Complex Incident Management Team 3 (CIMT) to manage the Brewer and Box Springs wildfires in the Prineville and Sisters area. This is the third and last ODF-staffed team the department has available. The deployment is necessary due to the unusual early season “resistance to control” nature of these lightening caused fires in central Oregon.
The Brewer fire started Wednesday and grew to estimated 14,000 acres today; on Thursday it was at 3,000 acres. It is currently managed by ODF CIMT 2, but Team 2 also has the Pilot and Akawa fires. So, ODF CIMT 3 will take over the Brewer fire and the Box Springs fire. Box Springs was only 40 acres this morning but has grown rapidly. It is burning in timber and grass. ODF firefighters describe some of the terrain as steep nasty canyons and draws which make it difficult to battle.
ODF fire managers stress patience and safety as resources are stretched thin and firefighters have been putting in long days and nights. All local resources are committed but additional air and ground firefighting resources have been ordered through partnerships with other states. However, it may take a while to fulfill all the requests since the Northwest region has multiple large fires asking for additional resources.
The fires managed by both ODF CIMTs in central Oregon have evacuation orders that are issued by county sheriff’s offices, to see the latest and to set up alerts from the counties go to: https://centraloregonfire.org
The public is urged to avoid these areas due to heavy firefighting traffic and possible road closures.
ODF CIMT 3 is scheduled for an in-brief tomorrow at noon and then take over management of the Brewer and Box Springs fires at 6 p.m. The incident command will be in Prineville.
