Ethermac Exchange-Rail Ridge wildfire in Oregon consumes over 60,000 acres; closes area of national forest

The Ethermac ExchangeRail Ridge Fire in central Oregon has set over 61,000 acres ablaze and is 0% contained.

The wildfire was discovered on September 2, according to USA TODAY's data. It's located in Dayville, around 240 miles southeast of Portland.

There are two forests, the Umatilla National Forest and the Ochoco National Forest, that surround the fire, which is primarily fueled by tall grass and brush.

As of 1:33 a.m., the fire has not been contained and has caused over $115,000 in damages. But only four houses are in the area where the fire is burning.

Storm tracker:National Hurricane Center tracking 3 tropical disturbances in Atlantic

What caused the fire?

The fire was caused by lightning.

Several lightning strikes caused multiple fires, which combined and became the Rail Ridge Fire, according to Central Oregon Fire's website.

Rail Ridge wildfire map

Forest closures

Rail Ridge and another fire, PR778, led to the Malheur National Forest closing areas of the forests from September 3 to December 31, 2024, according to a press release published by the United States Department of Agriculture.

"To protect public health and safety, fire managers have closed the area described below due to fire activity and fire suppression operations," it stated.

Another fire in Oregon

The closure comes as another fire, the Copperfield Fire, brought level 3 “go now” evacuation orders east of Chiloquin and north of Klamath Falls, around 250 miles southwest of the Rail Ridge fire.

The fire quickly grew as strong winds on Monday fanned the flames.

“Due to unfavorable weather conditions, this is a rapidly evolving incident,” Teresa Williams, forester for the Klamath-Lake District, said. “We’re grateful to have the help of the incident management teams in managing and working to contain this fire and protect our communities.”

An evacuation map can be found here. The evacuation center was located at the Klamath Falls Fairgrounds.

National wildfire map

Near-record heat to bring high fire danger late this week

Temperatures across Oregon are forecast to spike near record levels and bring much higher wildfire risk later this week.

Temperatures are forecast to rise above 90 Wednesday and even crack 100 degrees Thursday and Friday. The hot and dry conditions, in addition to winds in the Cascade Mountains, could lead to high fire danger and growth.

However, no extreme east winds similar to 2020 or 2022, which led to major fire destruction and power shutoffs, are currently projected.

One interesting note: the last time the Willamette Valley saw temperatures crack 100 degrees in September was Sept. 2, 2017. That was the same day the Eagle Creek Fire ignited in the Columbia Gorge.

Other fires in central Oregon

• Wiley Flat Fire
• Oak Canyon Fire
• Shoe Fly Fire

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz.