Substation Fire officials, Oregon State Parks, and the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office have assessed conditions along the Lower Deschutes River and are lifting evacuation orders for this section of the fire, effective 4:30 pm, July 20, 2018. This reduction opens up launch and take-out points in Segments 3 & 4 to use, and allows jet boat users to access the river via Heritage Landing. Please use caution, the Substation Fire remains uncontained and work on the fire will continue for the near future. Although the area will be open to day and overnight use, boaters should use caution.
- Helicopters supporting this fire will continue to use the river as a dip site.
- River staff may temporarily hold up rafters while helicopters are dipping or flying overhead.
- Make sure to stay away from the helicopters and take pictures from a distance. Depending on the helicopter’s capacity, buckets can carry from 600 – 16,000 pounds of water. An accidental release of the bucket or the water can cause serious injury or even be fatal.
- Boaters will have to pull off in areas that have recently burned if they plan to camp between Macks Canyon and Heritage Landing. Black areas may still have hot spots, dangerous stump holes or rolling material. Use caution when setting up camp.
- Avoid standing trees and snags in recently burned areas that may be weakened by the fire and are at risk of falling. Even small snags can cause serious injuries.
