Firefighters protected and saved four homes on Forest Service Road 2050 overnight as the Akawa Butte Fire moved to the west and southwest. The lightning-caused fire, which began earlier this month, is now estimated at 10,326 acres with three percent containment.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal and the Oregon Department of Forestry are managing the fire with 348 total personnel, including 20 engines and 12 hand crews. While wind-driven activity challenged crews at higher elevations through the night, structural task forces and local resources worked until morning to defend the threatened homes. Those teams remain on the scene today to secure a larger defensible space around the structures.

Wildland crews are taking advantage of calmer winds Monday to strengthen existing control lines and establish new perimeters around the fire’s recent growth. Lower cloud cover and smoke are expected to suppress wind speeds, with light breezes reaching only about five mph. Firefighters have already seen success building depth and reinforcing lines on the north and east sides of the fire.

Additional equipment, including 11 dozers and six helicopters, is being used to support ground operations. Officials are asking the public to be alert for heavy equipment and crew movements, particularly around the Sisters Rodeo grounds, where fire vehicles are frequently entering and leaving.

Evacuation levels 1, 2, and 3 remain in effect for parts of Deschutes and Jefferson counties. Several Bureau of Land Management areas near the fire also remain closed to public entry for safety.

A virtual community meeting is scheduled for tonight, Monday, July 20, at 7 p.m. The update will be livestreamed on the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Facebook page.