Fire near Mt Hood: Latest update on Grasshopper Fire in Oregon; check evacuation map as scary videos emerge

The Grasshopper Fire has grown past 21,000 acres with zero containment as authorities maintain Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation notices for surrounding areas. The Grasshopper Fire burning in Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest has expanded to 21,126 acres and remains 0% contained as of Thursday. Hundreds of firefighters continue battling flames in steep terrain west of Maupin.The Grasshopper Fire burning in Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest has expanded to 21,126 acres and remains 0% contained as of Thursday. (Representational) (Unsplash)The fast-growing wildfire has triggered evacuation notices across parts of Wasco County and has prompted additional state resources under Oregon's Emergency Conflagration Act. A widely shared image posted by meteorologist Josh Cozart showed the fire burning behind Mt. Hood on Thursday evening. According to the latest incident update, the wildfire grew by nearly 3,000 acres since Wednesday's mapping.Firefighters reinforce containment lines as evacuations remain in placeA total of 373 personnel are assigned to the incident under a unified command led by California Interagency Incident Management Team 6 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal, according to Columbia Community Connection.Firefighters are working across several sections of the fire. Crews are building indirect handlines near Flag Point, strengthening containment along Forest Road 27, securing firelines near Badger Creek, and reinforcing roads along the southern perimeter. On the western flank, firefighters continue direct attacks where conditions permit while constructing backup containment lines.Earlier this week, crews completed a successful firing operation along Forest Road 27 to help protect the communities of Pine Hollow and Sportsmans Park. Firefighters also extinguished several spot fires before they could spread beyond containment lines.The Oregon State Fire Marshal has activated the Emergency Conflagration Act, allowing additional structural firefighting resources to deploy. Firefighters from California, Utah, and Washington have joined Oregon crews through the state's mutual aid system.State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple warned that hot, dry and windy weather forecast through the weekend will continue to challenge suppression efforts across Oregon.Also read: Sonoma County 'Woodside' fire: Check evacuation map and visuals as smoke reaches Petaluma areaEvacuation map and smoke concernsThe Wasco County Sheriff's Office continues to maintain Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 evacuation notices for areas surrounding the Grasshopper Fire. Officials urged residents to monitor changing conditions using the county's official evacuation map.An evacuation shelter remains open at Maupin High School for displaced residents.Wasco County Evacuation Map (Watch Duty)Smoke from the wildfire has also significantly affected air quality across south Wasco County. According to the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program, communities including Pine Hollow, Maupin, and Tygh Valley could experience unhealthy to hazardous air quality during the day. Areas closer to the fire, including Parkdale and Dufur, may also see unhealthy conditions.A user on X shared images of smoke seen from Mt. Hood and wrote, “I can’t tell if this is a controlled fire or if the wildfires are getting closer.”Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More