CHILOQUIN, Ore. (Aug. 10, 2026) — The Wrights Spring Fire has grown to 46,767 acres in the Fremont-Winema National Forest as firefighters continue battling extreme fire behavior in hot, dry and unstable conditions, officials said Monday.
The wildfire, which was reported Aug. 5 about 2 miles west of Sprague River, is burning south of Sprague River Highway and east of Chiloquin between Forest Service Road 5817 and Road 22, also known as Switchback Road. The fire is moving generally toward the northeast in mixed-conifer forests toward Saddle Mountain.
As of 10:17 a.m. Monday, the fire had no reported containment and was being managed by 555 personnel. The cause remains under investigation.
Fire officials said the blaze is exhibiting plume-driven fire behavior, meaning the fire’s growth is being driven largely by the hot, dry and unstable atmosphere rather than just winds. Active backing, flanking and running fire, along with short-, mid- and long-range spotting, have been reported.
Large fire whirls have also been observed and documented. Officials estimate the probability of ignition at 90%.
The fire is burning through timber, grass, understory and closed timber litter. Officials said fuels in the region have cured unusually early because of low snowpack and warmer-than-normal temperatures, with fire-weather indices reaching or exceeding the 90th percentile.
The fire’s upper elevations include Douglas fir-dominated mixed conifer with heavy fuel loading, while lower elevations transition to ponderosa pine-dominated mixed conifer. Ponderosa and lodgepole pine, bitterbrush, juniper and sage are also present across the fire area.
Firefighters are working on primary containment lines in Division C while reinforcing existing lines and securing an anchor point in Division H. Crews are also preparing roads and conducting burning operations around Saddle Mountain.
Structural protection crews are surveying and preparing structures and working to hold and secure areas around homes and other buildings during periods of critical fire behavior.
Officials expect the fire to continue moving east and south over the next three days, with very active fire behavior and periods of extreme activity possible.
Smoke from overnight inversions is expected to affect surrounding areas through the late morning and into the early afternoon. Structure protection and suppression operations are continuing on both day and night shifts.
By Wednesday, a shift to westerly flow is expected to bring somewhat cooler temperatures and increased humidity, providing some relief. Overnight humidity recovery is also expected to gradually improve. A slight chance of thunderstorms is possible Friday and Saturday.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the state’s Conflagration Act for the Wrights Spring Fire on Aug. 7, authorizing the use of local government resources for structure protection.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Green Team assumed unified command at 4 p.m. Aug. 7 and has received delegations of authority from Klamath County and Klamath County Rural Fire Protection District No. 3.
The Wrights Spring Fire was first reported Aug. 5 at 2:56 p.m. in the Fremont-Winema National Forest.
EVACUATION NOTICES: (10:20A 8/10/26)
🔴 Level 3 – Go Now: FHZ-1166, FHZ-1581, FHZ-1582, KLA-1162, KLA-1163, KLA-1164, KLA-1165, KLA-1167, KLA-1168, KLA-1376, KLA-1381-A, KLA-1381-B, KLA-1396, KLA-1426, KLA-1556, KLA-1561, KLA-1566, KLA-1572, KLA-1706-A, KLA-1706-B, KLA-1711, KLA-1712-A, KLA-1712-B, KLA-1713-A, KLA-1713-B, KLA-1716, KLA-1717, KLA-1718, KLA-1719, KLA-1721, KLA-1722, KLA-1726, KLA-1727, KLA-1731, KLA-1957
🟡 Level 2 – Be Set: FHZ-1583, FHZ-1584-B, KLA-1156, KLA-1161, KLA-1171, KLA-1176, KLA-1386, KLA-1391, KLA-1401, KLA-1416, KLA-1421, KLA-1431, KLA-1472, KLA-1577, KLA-1707, KLA-1736-A, KLA-1737, KLA-1741, KLA-1956, KLA-1967, KLA-1968, KLA-1972, KLA-1976
🟢 Level 1 – Be Ready: FHZ-1228, FHZ-1229, FHZ-1584-A, FHZ-1585, KLA-1031, KLA-1181, KLA-1186, KLA-1191, KLA-1201, KLA-1361, KLA-1366, KLA-1371, KLA-1441, KLA-1446, KLA-1452, KLA-1471, KLA-1582, KLA-1586, KLA-1746, KLA-1751, KLA-1946, KLA-1951, KLA-1961, KLA-1966, KLA-1971, KLA-1981, KLA-2261, KLA-2291, KLA-2296
Discover more from Medford Alert News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
