Firefighters hold north perimeter of Hagen Fire as blaze reaches 26,000 acres

Firefighters made significant progress on the Hagen Fire yesterday as regional haze helped moderate fire behavior. The fire is currently estimated at 26,879 acres and is being managed under unified command by Northwest Team 7 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

A total of 946 personnel are currently working on the Hagen, Paradise, and Horse Ridge fires. On the Hagen Fire, which is located about nine miles southwest of Tollgate, firefighters used helicopters to drop 50,000 gallons of water to slow the fire's advance. The northern perimeter at Bingham Road is successfully holding, and crews have begun mop-up operations in that area.

While the north side remains stable, the fire showed moderate growth to the west and expanded toward the east and south. Firefighters are currently scouting for the most effective locations to build fire lines that will stop the blaze's spread in those directions.

Evacuation levels remain elevated in portions of Umatilla County, Union County, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Due to the remote nature of the terrain, the Umatilla County Sheriff is urging residents to remain extremely vigilant and monitor fire activity closely because conditions can change rapidly.

For the latest updates on evacuation zones, residents should check the Umatilla County emergency advisory page or follow the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office on Facebook.

The Umatilla National Forest has implemented public use restrictions for smoking, off-road travel, and chainsaw use across the entire forest. Several recreation sites are closed for public safety, including the Umatilla Fork Day-Use Area and Campground, the North Fork Umatilla Trailhead, the Corporation Guard Station, and the Buck Creek Cabin and Trailhead.

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in effect over the fire area. Officials remind the public that flying a drone near a wildfire is illegal and will result in the immediate grounding of all firefighting aircraft.

Current air quality information is available at AirNow.gov, and daily incident updates are posted on the fire's Facebook page.