Bar M Ranch

08/28/2026

08/18/2026

08/14/2026

The wildlife around the ranch are feeling the pressure of the fire. We are seeing more deer and bear on the roads than usual.

Now about that white dog…. Shirley loves the firemen, taking advantage of every chance she can and climbing into their trucks. The firemen enjoy her though.

08/13/2026

Hey gang,

It’s been a week since we last posted another update related specifically to the Ranch in regards to the Hagen Fire. The morning s are generally smoky, but clearing up by 11am-noon.

We were initially hopeful at the beginning of last week that we might be downgrading into a level two Evac. Unfortunately the fire had its own plans and jumped the Umatilla River on the north east end of the fire. Once that happened, we moved back into a level three evacuation on all sides.

There are a couple of dozer constructed fire lines, one going across the top of our north mountain running west to east and another running north to south down the center of our North mountain face. These are acting as a secondary anchor in case the fire teams are unable to stop the fire’s western progression.

At some point they may perform some back burning in order to strengthen those position against the fire’s expansion. 

The main Bingham Rd out to the Ranch is still closed all outside traffic with the exception of residents, landowners, and utilities.

We are hopeful the progression can be stopped and we can be downgraded to resume our future events.

Would you continue praying with us for the safety of the firefighters, for all property owners and their properties, and for those that are on the north east side of the fire towards Tollgate and across highway 204 and of course, all the area to the south. 

08/13/2026

FIRE UPDATE: The Hagen Fire has grown to 53,306 acres and is 11% contained, according to Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 6.

Fire officials said the fire climbed steep drainages below Coyote Ridge on Tuesday, Aug. 11, advancing as far west as the West Fork of Coyote Creek.

Along Highway 204 and near the community of Tollgate, crews are looking for opportunities to build indirect fire lines closer to the blaze and farther from homes and other property. Fire managers said crews may use defensive firing to create a buffer between the active fire and nearby structures.

Crews also continue to protect structures in the area with sprinklers, hoses, water supplies and other measures. All fire spots east of Highway 204 are being mopped up and monitored.

Fire officials said firefighters remain vigilant and continue to engage the fire as safely as conditions allow.

Increasing relative humidity is moderating fire activity, but hot afternoon temperatures, combined with wind and slope alignment, continue to fuel uphill runs and active spotting.

Winds are expected to shift to the west-northwest today. Fire managers anticipate activity in different areas of the fire as changing winds and slope alignment alter fire behavior across the terrain.

The Paradise Fire has burned about 3,946 acres and remains 0% contained, fire officials said.

Firefighters encountered active fire on Aug. 11 in the southeast as the blaze spread over Broken Ridge and made significant gains to the south.

Crews conducted defensive burnout operations but halted the work when the main fire became more active. Firefighters will attempt another defensive burn today, if conditions allow, to create a buffer between Forest Service Road 64 and the fire front.

A spot fire north of Mill Creek has not moved beyond containment lines and will continue to be monitored. Structure protection and egress efforts also continue on the west side of the fire.

Fire officials said the fire is expected to make gains to the southeast Aug. 12 as winds shift to the northwest.

To prepare, firefighters are building “check lines,” which are shorter reinforced dozer or hand lines constructed perpendicular to the highway on the south side of the fire. The lines are not intended to contain the fire, but to slow its advance and give crews more time to build containment lines and cool the fire with helicopter water drops and engine support.

On the south side of the fire, firefighters are reinforcing dozer lines and preparing roads through the steep, rugged terrain. Crews are also conducting defensive burnout operations, at times using drones to ignite pockets of fuel inside the fire perimeter. Fire officials said the shift in wind direction is expected to test these lines today.

Highway 204 is closed between Weston and Elgin, from milepost 0 to 39, due to the Hagen Fire. At this time, residents in the closure area are still allowed to reach their homes when conditions are safe. This can change quickly because of fire behavior, evacuation levels or emergency operations.

PHOTO: Fire crews work along a containment line Aug. 11, 2026, as firefighters battle the Hagen Fire in the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness near Tollgate. (Yasser Marte/The CUJ)

08/01/2026

We spent about 9 hrs yesterday at the ranch, doing some general cleanup, pond maintenance, and mowing the property. The smoke is generally pretty heavy until 11am; yesterday it hung around until noon.

It was good to be working on things. We are still at an evacuation level 3 right now for all of Bingham Rd, the ranch, and up to the Umatilla National Forest.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, the wind today is something that we are all watching to see the effects from.

On another note, this is one of our hens and her 11 chicks making their presence known.