Burns Basin Fire update as of August 20, 2026
By Mindy McKerrall on Thursday, August 20th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories
HARNEY AND MALHEUR COUNTY-
Location: Burns Basin
Start Date: 07/23/2026
Cause: Natural/Lightning
Size: Coleman Creek: 308,863 acres, 95% contained
Second Flat: 105,854 acres, 95% contained
Bald Mountain: 76,443 acres, 95% contained
Jackass Butte: 24,724 acres, 92% contained
Incident Websites:
https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orbud-bald-mountain https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orbud-2026-coleman-creek https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orbud-jackass-butte https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orbud-second-flat
Personnel: Coleman Creek Fire: 46
Second Flat Fire: 127
Bald Mountain Fire: 35
Jackass Butte: 52
SUMMARY: With the current and elevated fire weather conditions, wildfire activity may increase during the peak of day heat with localized flare-ups in pockets of unburned fuels. Smoldering and creeping may continue in heavier fuels. Crews continue to patrol and mop up when and where needed.
Operations remain focused on suppression repair (aka fireline rehabilitation), which is the first phase of post- wildfire recovery. These immediate post-fire actions are taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begin before the fire is contained.
COLEMAN CREEK FIRE: Continue to patrol and mop up to the extent necessary. Suppression repair is
ongoing on interior dozer lines in the central region of the fire and on riparian areas on the western side.
SECOND FLAT FIRE: Continue to patrol and mop up to the extent necessary, and implement suppression
repair in alignment with the plan, which currently is focused on the northeastern side of the fire.
BALD MOUNTAIN FIRE: Continue to patrol and mop up to the extent necessary, in addition to suppression repair work on access routes located on the southeastern side of the fire and ones south of Highway 78.
JACKASS BUTTE FIRE: Continue to patrol and mop up to the extent necessary, along with expansion of the sprinkler and water operations within marshy field areas that are retaining significant heat.
WEATHER: Warm, dry and breezy conditions are expected to continue through Friday morning.
CLOSURES: The “Forest Service Order 06-04-02-26-17: Second Flat Fire Area Reduced” remains in effect.
See the Malheur National Forest website for the closure order details and map.https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/malheur/alerts
