ORIG 06/22/18 A helicopter drops a bucket of water along the leading edge of the Graham Fire as it burns along Montgomery Road on Friday, June 22, 2018. (Ryan Brennecke/Bulletin photo)

Gov. Kate Brown invoked the Conflagration Act in the Graham Fire, which has burned 2,000 acres outside Culver. The Graham Fire was reported Thursday afternoon burning in brush, timber and grass 4 miles south of the Metolius River arm of Lake Billy Chinook west of Culver. It was considered 50 percent contained as of Friday afternoon.

The Conflagration Act authorizes the State Fire Marshal to relocate personnel and equipment to assist local agencies when life and property are at risk.

Additional fire crews arrived Friday. Firefighters are working to contain the wildfire pushing to the northeast through Big Canyon, according to Christie Shaw, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Crews are starting burnout operations, which involves setting fires and letting fuels burn between the wildfire and the containment lines, Shaw said.

Numerous lightning-started wildfires popped up Wednesday night as thunderstorms rolled through Central Oregon, and high winds and dry conditions have aided their spread. Those conditions continued Friday, and are expected through the weekend.

Thursday night, the spread of the Graham Fire forced the evacuation of residents of the Three Rivers Subdivision in Big Canyon.

The evacuation was in place as of Friday afternoon.

The fire was burning Friday west of and inside the subdivision. Aircraft were being grounded Friday due to the region being “smoked in,” Shaw said.

“When safe to fly, air assets will be utilized in firefighting efforts,” she said.

People can access the Forest Service’s Monty and Perry South campgrounds if they come from Camp Sherman along the Metolius River rather than from coming through Culver and Lake Billy Chinook, according to fire officials.