Cedar Creek Oregon Fire Update: Map Shows Almost 87K Acres Torched

The Cedar Creek wildfire in Central Oregon continues to balloon in size as more and more fire personnel fight to bring the massive blaze under control.

As of Monday morning, Inciweb, an online database that tracks wildfires, listed the Cedar Creek fire as having burned across 86,734 acres, with zero percent having been contained by firefighters. The fire began on August 1 and is situated roughly 47 miles southeast of Eugene, Oregon. A lightning storm in the area is believed to have initially sparked the blaze.

There are currently nine wildfires reported in Oregon as of today, per the National Interagency Fire Center. The largest active wildfire in the state currently is the Double Creek fire, which is reported to have consumed more than 154,000 acres and is 15 percent contained. The Cedar Creek fire is the second largest.

Over 1,200 firefighters from agencies in 29 states have been dispatched to handle the Cedar Creek fire. While the task has been considerably difficult to this point, KTVZ News on Monday reported that a break in the weather might soon turn the situation in the favor of the fire personnel. Through Sunday, the blaze had been fanned by conditions traditionally conducive to wildfires: high temperatures, mixed with dry air and winds.

Some amount of the fire had been contained prior to this dry weather, but KTVZ noted that it had the effect of undoing all the progress made prior to this weekend. Now, as of Monday, temperatures in the area have dropped and light rain has helped ease the dry atmosphere.

"Weather is on their side, as it's currently 72 degrees and a light drizzle just came through Oakridge," an update posted to the official Facebook page tracking the fire read on Sunday night. "Safety is a top priority, though, as night operations can be challenging and dangerous work."

The cooler weather that arrived on Sunday allowed the teams tackling the west side of the fire to hold the line in several locations and push back in a few others.

Several sno-park recreational areas in the region remain closed due to the Cedar Creek fire, including Edison Butte, Kapka Butte, and Virginia Meissner, with certain parking areas at the Wanoga Sno-Park also closed. A Level 3 evacuation order remains in effect for the greater Oakridge, Westfir, and High Prairie areas.

"It's worse every day," 28-year-old Oakridge resident Robin Williams told Oregon Live on September 11. "It leaped like seven miles in a few days. And it's not supposed to rain again until October."

Officials estimate that 2,230 homes and 443 commercial buildings remain threatened by the Cedar Park fire.

Newsweek reached out to fire officials for comment.