8-29 Update: Paradise and Hagen fires
By Terry Murry on Saturday, August 29th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
From Southern Area 3 Incident Command Team:
| Fire | Size* | Containment | Personnel |
| Hagen | 60,737 acres | 35% | 691 |
| Paradise | 9,324 acres | 15% | 500 |
*Our reported acreage comes from the ICS-209, the official source used across all incident updates and posted on InciWeb to maintain consistency. Infrared mapping flights often occur overnight and can produce updated perimeter data that appears sooner on platforms like Watch Duty. Those numbers can sometimes be useful for situational awareness, but we publish only the acreage that has been verified for accuracy.
KEY MESSAGES
- Umatilla and Union County Evacuation Levels Lowered Yesterday. County officials lowered evacuation levels yesterday. Please check official sources for current information, which can change quickly.
- Revised Forest Closure for Hagen Fire.U.S. Forest Service officials released a revised Hagen Fire Emergency Closure Forest Order and map yesterday. The Hagen Fire Emergency Closure south of Highway 204 and the Paradise Fire Emergency Closure around Mill Creek Watershed remain in place.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/umatilla/alerts/hagen-fire-emergency-closure-reduction
No tactical firing operations today. Given the forecast winds today, no tactical firing operations are planned. Firefighters will assess along the southern edge of the Hagen Fire for potential burning operations tomorrow.
CURRENT CONDITIONS AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Paradise Fire
Firefighters will secure and mop up and firelines today given the change in weather, especially along the critical Mill Creek drainage and around the intake, along Forest Service Road 65 and other existing control lines. Crews increased containment lines yesterday by making meaningful, steady progress each day. They are continuing to patrol, cool hot spots, improve access, and prepare areas where containment lines can be safely built and strengthened. As these sections become secure, the containment percentage will increase.
Hagen Fire
Fire personnel continue to secure and mop up containment lines across the fire area. Increased acres are due to tactical burning to bring fire closer to containment lines. Crews burned along Forest Service Road 3128 last night and will mop up that area today. They will also continue mopping up and securing control lines in areas along the fire’s eastern and southern edges. Along containment lines, aviation resources will continue to support on-the-ground firefighters to protect private lands and other important resources.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Temperatures continue to trend cooler, reaching the low 60s with relative humidity in the mid-30s. Winds will start at 15-17 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph late this afternoon into the evening. Fire activity could be mixed, given low temperatures and high wind gusts later today.
Photo: Firefighter on the Hagen Fire on August 28, 2026
