Darlene 3 Fire grows again overnight, homes still threatened
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The Darlene 3 Fire burning in Deschutes County grew again Wednesday and evacuation orders are still in place for neighborhoods near La Pine.
It was first reported Tuesday, and grew by more than 2,000 acres during the first 24 hours. Between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, it swelled again and is sitting at 3,614 acres.
According to Central Oregon Fire Info on X, overnight crews created lines along the east side of the fire where it was growing.
The fire is currently listed as 30% contained and evacuation levels have remained unchanged since Tuesday.
There are Level 3 evacuations for the area east of Highway 97 and north of Reed Road, including areas off Rosland Road and Newberry Estates.
A temporary evacuation site is set up at La Pine High School for residents in need of support.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek also invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the fire on Tuesday, which allowed the state fire marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist local resources.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also authorized the use of federal funds to defend against the fire on Tuesday evening.