Trying to add a payment method? You can do this on the 
The dry landscape and gusting winds created prime conditions for wildfire in Lane County Monday, Aug. 3.
A red flag warning was in effect for much of the southern Willamette Valley from 1 p.m. through 8 p.m. It has since ended, and no major fires started in Lane County during the warning.
Throughout the afternoon, Lookout Eugene-Springfield tracked developments in the following time-stamped thread. This thread is now closed as critical fire conditions have passed.
Meanwhile, smoke from wildfires east of the Cascades is drifting into the valley; the smoky conditions are expected to worsen overnight.
7:15 p.m.
The red flag warning is set to conclude at 8 p.m. An extension is not expected, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.
6:50 p.m.
Air quality has further degraded.
The Air Quality Index, which measures air pollution on a scale of 0 to 500, has nearly quadrupled since noon. Early evening, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) monitors registered an AQI of a “moderate” level of 83 in north Eugene and 76 in west Springfield.
The air quality is pushing into the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” level — a category that includes people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and pregnant people.
Areas along the city limits have reached an AQI over 101, the threshold for “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” according to PurpleAir monitors. PurpleAir sensors, low-cost consumer devices, expand the air-monitoring picture beyond LRAPA’s regulatory-grade network. – Leo Brown
6:35 p.m.
No new fires have started in Lane County as of early evening.
Eugene Springfield Fire responded to and extinguished a small fire in bark dust late afternoon.
About an hour and a half remains under the Red Flag Warning for the Eugene and Springfield area. – Ashli Blow
5:55 p.m.
Winds have sustained at 15 to 20 mph since this morning, with frequent afternoon gusts reaching 25 mph, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.
Humidity levels dropped to around 27% late afternoon. When humidity falls below 30%, vegetation like grass, pine needles, and leaves dries out rapidly, increasing fire fuel.
The combination of strong northeasterly winds, low humidity, and high temperatures means any new ignition could spread quickly. – Leo Brown
5:05 p.m.
Three utilities that serve people in Lane County have adjusted their operations to account for how power lines and trees may respond to strong winds. This includes Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), Lane Electric and Emerald People’s Utility District.
The modification is often referred to as operating under a “wildfire safety setting,” in which power immediately shuts off if a line is tapped — for example, by a falling branch. If that happens, the power stays out until crews have fully patrolled and inspected the affected area.
Springfield Utility Board (SUB) power outages are unlikely. While SUB has a line that runs through a forested area, that line is de-energized for repairs, so it isn’t an issue, spokesperson Meredith Clark said in an email. – Ashli Blow
4:40 p.m.
No new fires have been reported since firefighters extinguished small ignitions in Pleasant Hill and near Jasper earlier in the afternoon.
Winds continue to meet the criteria for a red flag warning, which forecasts gusts up to 25 mph, according to National Weather Service meteorologists. – Leo Brown
3:45 p.m.
Air quality is starting to degrade as winds push smoke into Lane County from fires in eastern Oregon and Washington.
Air quality is measured on the Air Quality Index (AQI) scale from 0 to 500, color-coded, with higher numbers indicating worse conditions and dark red signaling hazardous air. Moderate conditions run up to 100, after which air becomes unhealthy for sensitive groups — including people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and pregnant people.
As of mid-afternoon, Eugene and Springfield had moved from “good” to “moderate” on the index. The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency expects conditions to reach “unhealthy for sensitive groups” overnight, though smoke levels can shift quickly depending on weather. – Ashli Blow
3:15 p.m.
Firefighters responded to two separate ignitions on Bristol Road in Pleasant Hill and Jasper Lowell Road near Jasper.
The blaze in Pleasant Hill burned about 0.6 acres and was possibly caused by mowing operations, as reported by Pleasant Hill Goshen Fire & Rescue. Crews from Pleasant Hill Goshen Fire & Rescue, Dexter Fire District, and the Oregon Department of Forestry responded quickly to the fire. Three rigs, multiple engines, and two water tenders responded.
The fire near Jasper was a small fire that was sparked by a muffler, according to Jessica Neujahr, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry. The Oregon Department of Forestry sent one engine.
Officials confirm that both fires are now extinguished, though the red flag warning remains in effect for the region. – Leo Brown
2:45 p.m.
In response to the red flag warning, Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) has switched to wildfire safety settings on power lines serving about 10% of its customers — mostly in Laurel Hill Valley, South Hills and Southwest Hills.
Under these settings, power shuts off instantly if something like a fallen branch touches a line. EWEB crews won’t restore power until they’ve fully patrolled and inspected the affected area. That means customers in these neighborhoods could see longer outages until the dangerous weather passes.
This kind of shutoff is different from a public safety power shutoff, which preemptively cuts power off. – Ashli Blow
