Grasshopper Fire prompts continued evacuation readiness in the Mount Hood corridor

Oregon invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Grasshopper Fire on July 29, 2026, as the blaze was mapped at 18,136 acres in the Mount Hood region. The state mobilized an incident-management team and task forces to protect communities and critical infrastructure.

The action places the fire among the major incidents receiving Oregon’s statewide wildfire-response support. The Oregon State Fire Marshal described the 2026 invocation as the 11th statewide use of the emergency authority.

Evacuation readiness around Mount Hood

Wasco County had Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 evacuation orders connected to the incident when the state fire marshal issued its July 29 release. Those levels represent escalating readiness and movement instructions for people in affected areas.

The release did not establish a current evacuation level specifically for Welches. Welches is an unincorporated community in the Mount Hood corridor of Clackamas County, where wildfire smoke, evacuation readiness and travel conditions can affect residents, visitors and local businesses.

For people using the Mount Hood corridor, the fire’s effects can include changing smoke exposure and potential disruptions on Highway 26. The incident also matters to tourism and to emergency agencies working to protect homes and critical infrastructure. Fire acreage and evacuation conditions can change after an incident update, so residents and travelers should rely on current emergency notices when making decisions.

Federal assistance and local preparation

Oregon also secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Grasshopper Fire. The federal assistance can cover up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs, helping support the response while state and local agencies work on fire suppression and community protection.

Clackamas County’s emergency planning has included a separate Mount Hood Great Escape exercise. The county reported that the two-day exercise tested responses to a major wildfire and a Public Safety Power Shutoff scenario.

The exercise addressed countywide emergency preparedness and focused on the kinds of conditions that can complicate wildfire response: evacuation coordination, loss of power and protection of communities in the Mount Hood area.

The known response step for the Grasshopper Fire is ongoing state and local firefighting coordination under the emergency conflagration action, supported by the federal grant. The July 29 state release provided the mapped acreage and evacuation information for that date; it did not establish a later containment figure or a new deadline for the response.