Level 3 ‘Go Now’ evacuation orders in place near Madras for Elk Lane Fire sparked by lightning storm

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Evacuation orders ranging from Level 3 “Go Now” to Level 1 “Be Ready” have been issued for a fast-burning wildfire called the Elk Lane Fire near Madras that was sparked by a massive lightning storm on Sunday night, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

The fire is burning about 7 miles northwest of Madras and is in the Deschutes River Canyon, but is still on the east side of the river, according to Central Oregon Fire Management.

The evacuation orders for the Elk Lane Fire range from Level 3 “Go Now” to Level 1 “Be Ready” for both the northwest and southwest quadrants of Jefferson County and can be seen on a map here.

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Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders are in place for NW 10 and SW 17; Level 2 “Get Set” evacuation orders have been issued for SW 16 and NW 9. Meanwhile, there’s a Level 1 “Get Ready” evacuation order for NW 5 and NW 13.

The Elk Lane Fire was estimated to be about 3,000 acres as of late Monday morning, and officials say the region is expecting temperatures in the high 90s and expected wind gusts of up to 18 mph, which make prime fire weather conditions.

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Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Elk Lane Fire, according to the state fire marshal.

The Jefferson County Fairgrounds are a temporary shelter area, and the Red Cross is also assisting, according to officials.

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