Second Flat Fire incident update as of August 3, 2026
By Mindy McKerrall on Monday, August 3rd, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
HARNEY COUNTY-
Location: Burns Basin, Second Flat: 105,432 acres, 40% containment, Cause: Unknown, Personnel: 429
Firefighters continued securing the Second Flat Fire on Sunday while taking advantage of reduced fire activity across much of the incident. A primary objective remains keeping the fire south of Red Hill while protecting nearby communities and critical infrastructure. As of now, Highway 20 is open between Burns and Vale.
Along Lone Pine Road, firefighters continued tactical patrol and mop-up while strengthening containment lines. The local utility provider successfully re-energized the primary transmission line serving Burns. Fire managers expect to add containment along portions of Lone Pine Road as work continues. In the Willow Flat and Skull Creek areas, firefighters continued extinguishing hotspots identified by infrared imagery.
On the west side of the fire near Green Butte, firefighters nearly completed a dozer line between Forest Service Route 41 and Hines Logging Road. Helicopters supported ground crews throughout the day. Crews also evaluated the Burnt Basin area for opportunities to strengthen containment while identifying and protecting structures. Although smoke remains visible from interior pockets of unburned vegetation, firefighters report the activity is contained within the fire perimeter. Crews will continue patrol, mop-up, strengthen containment lines and extinguish remaining hotspots today while remaining prepared to respond to any new fire activity.
Weather: Warm, dry conditions will continue throughout the week. Lighter winds are expected after this weekend’s cold front, with afternoon gusts generally between 15 and 20 mph. Relative humidity will remain low, meaning fuels will remain receptive to fire spread despite the improved weather pattern.
Evacuations: Evacuation order and warnings remain in effect. For an interactive map of evacuations,
visit: Genasys Protect.
