A fire crew works to distinguish hotspots on the Alder Springs fire at Crooked River Ranch. 06/18/25 (Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin)

Wildland firefighters made good progress Wednesday on containing the Alder Springs Fire burning west of Crooked River Ranch, prompting a drop in evacuation levels. 

All Level 3— Go Now evacuation orders have been dropped for the fire, allowing residents to return to their homes. Many were forced out of the area on Monday when then juniper and brush fire rapidly grew in size.

As of Thursday the fire had burned 3,278 acres and was 21% contained. A 50-foot-wide perimeter has been set up around the entire fire, parts of which are burning in the steep canyons of southern Jefferson County. 

The Oregon State Fire Marshal was continuing structure protection work on Thursday. No structures have been burned in the fire.

On Wednesday crews worked the east flank of the fire, from Crooked River Ranch to the Deschutes River. The Texas Canyon Interagency Hotshot crew has been working hot spots in the steep canyon areas, supported by helicopters dropping water on areas of more dense heat.

Rappelers and smokejumpers were also on the scene, extinguishing hotspots in the Carcass Canyon area while crews secured the perimeter from Whychus Creek north to the confluence with the Deschutes River.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal is encouraging residents returning to their homes to do so with caution as fire resources and personnel are still present in the area. Access to BLM-administered lands including the Steelhead Falls, Scout Camp and Otter Bench trailheads remains closed.

Fire officials will continue mop up work into the rest of the week with help from drones that use heat sensing technology to more efficiently find hotspots close to the perimeter. With the immediate threat decreasing, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has been scaling back its response and is demobilizing some task forces. 

For more information on evacuation levels and maps, check centraloregonfireinfo.org.