FirstAlerts
Severe WeatherVersion 5

Red Flag Warning Issued for Central and Eastern Oregon

Gusty winds and low humidity on Tuesday present high wildfire risks across parts of Oregon.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 17, 2026, 1:52 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 18, 2026, 1:56 a.m. ET
A has been issued for Central Oregon and Eastern Oregon on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Official records from the state that the begins at 12:00 p.m. and expires at 10:00 p.m. The official record, which covers 1 zone, carries the headline "". KATU reported that gusty winds, particularly through the Cascade gaps and Columbia River Basin, are likely on Tuesday and will elevate wildfire danger. The was also reported by KCBY, KPIC, KVAL, and NBC16. According to official records, any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly, making outdoor burning not recommended. The record's precautionary advisory notes that a Fire Weather Watch means critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, and advises listening for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 17, 2026, 2:04 a.m. ET

    National Weather Service Extends Fire Weather Watch for Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon

    The National Weather Service in Pendleton, Oregon, has extended the Fire Weather Watch for the Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The watch now runs longer than first issued, starting at 12:00 p.m. and expiring at 10:00 p.m.

    Official National Weather Service records state that the watch was issued for breezy westerly winds and low relative humidity. Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly, and outdoor burning is not recommended.

    According to official weather records, a Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. The agency advises listening for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.

  2. Aug 17, 2026, 2:00 a.m. ET

    National Weather Service Issues Fire Weather Watch for Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon

    Official records from the National Weather Service Pendleton OR state that a Fire Weather Watch is in effect for 1 zone in the Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon. The watch begins at 12:00 PM on August 18, 2026, and expires at 10:00 PM the same day.

    The official document cites breezy westerly winds and low relative humidity. According to the record, any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly, and outdoor burning is not recommended.

    A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Official records advise residents to listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.

  3. Aug 17, 2026, 1:52 a.m. ETFirst report

    NWS Issues Fire Weather Watch for Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon

    The National Weather Service in Pendleton, Oregon, has issued a Fire Weather Watch for one zone covering the Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon. The watch is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM on August 18, 2026, and expire at 10:00 PM that evening.

    According to official National Weather Service records, the watch was triggered by forecast breezy westerly winds and low relative humidity. Official documentation states that any fire that develops under these conditions will catch and spread quickly, and outdoor burning is not recommended.

    National Weather Service records note that a Fire Weather Watch indicates critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. The agency advises listening for subsequent forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.

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Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 518 Aug 2026, 05:56current

    Removed ISO timestamps and raw URLs from body text, formatted plain-language warning times, and adjusted cited sources list to strictly match provided sources.

  2. Version 418 Aug 2026, 02:21

    Rewrote the headline to lead with the hazard and the exact areas from the record (Central and Eastern Oregon) plus the through-Tuesday-night window, removing the issuing office from the front. Dek now carries the hazard driver and the effective window. Body unchanged in substance: named the official record (NWS Pendleton OR alert product in NOAA's raw text archive) as the source of the derived fields, printed the start and end times both in local form and exactly as given (2026-08-18T12:00:00-07:00, 2026-08-18T22:00:00-07:00), kept the verbatim product headline, zone count of 1, impacts and precautions with attribution, and kept per-outlet attribution to KATU, KCBY and KVAL. Added the source_url to sources cited.

  3. Version 318 Aug 2026, 01:24

    Updated affected area details to Central Oregon and Eastern Oregon, and added expected wind conditions.

  4. Version 218 Aug 2026, 00:10

    Updated alert level and hazard designation to Red Flag Warning based on reporting and official records.

  5. Version 117 Aug 2026, 06:00current

    First published.

  6. Version 117 Aug 2026, 05:54

    First published.

  7. Version 117 Aug 2026, 05:52current

    First published.

  8. Version 117 Aug 2026, 06:04current

    First published.

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