A wildfire about 12.5 miles southeast of Bend off China Hat Road near Arnold Ice Cave prompted Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 evacuation notices along Forest Service Road 18. The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office asked people to avoid the area while fire crews responded.
The fire is burning primarily in sagebrush and juniper in a high-use recreation destination in Deschutes County. No structures are threatened at this time.
Deschutes County Sheriff's Office
The evacuation notices cover nearby areas around the fire, which broke out off China Hat Road. The Sheriff's Office said updates will be provided as conditions change, giving residents and recreation users the clearest signal to watch for changes in access and evacuation levels rather than treating the notice as static.
Arnold Ice Cave
The level changes matter because officials went all the way to Level 3 even though no structures are threatened. That combination shows the concern is not only the fire's location but the need to keep people out of a place that draws steady recreational use while crews work in sagebrush and juniper.
China Hat Road in the
The practical step for anyone headed toward the area is simple: stay away from the fire zone and follow the evacuation guidance already issued. The open question is how the fire grows from here and how large the affected evacuation area becomes as the response continues.
