Canal Fire near Redmond’s Roberts Field burns 23 acres, reaches 30% containment; officials say it was human-caused
Gregory Deffenbaugh
(Update: New size, containment figure, human-caused)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A wind-fanned, human-caused wildfire dubbed the Canal Fire broke out Sunday afternoon near Redmond’s Roberts Field and scorched 23 acres before crews working from the air and on the ground got the upper hand, officials said Monday.
Mapping reduced the fire’s size from an earlier estimate of 30 acres for fire. The winds caused the flames to torch and spot ahead of the main fire up to 100 to 200 yards, Ludie Bond, public information officer for Central Oregon Fire Management, told KTVZ News.
“Since Friday, we have responded to 18 fire calls,” Bond told us. “Only seven of them resulted in wildfires, and most were contained and controlled.”
Only Sunday’s Canal Fire and the Chevy Fire that broke out in Madras on Saturday grew to noteworthy sizes.
But amid an Extreme Heat Warning and two Local Alert Weather Days, Bond said challenging conditions are expected in the coming days. By mid-week, temperatures will start to cool but the winds are expected to pick up and shift, bringing “critical fire weather.”
“People need to be cautious,” Bond said.
Here’s the earlier update from fire officials Monday morning:
UPDATED: 8/11/2025 11:00 a.m.
Start Date: August 10 at 3:45 p.m.
Location: 44°16’58.8″N 121°06’59.8″W
Near Redmond Airport at the end of East Antler Avenue
Jurisdiction: Deschutes County
Fire Size: Approximately 30 acres
Cause: Under investigation
Fuels: grass, brush and timber. Fire is running and torching
Structures: no structures threatened
Fire Crews/Resources: 6 engines, 1 five-person module, and 2 water tenders
Visit the official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire. For smoke and air quality information, visit fire.airnow.gov.
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — August 10 — The Canal Fire burned in grass, brush, and timber and reportedly jumped a nearby canal, moving toward a power-line corridor. No structures were threatened or evacuations reported.
Fire officials ordered additional resources to fight the blaze, including four single-engine air tankers, two more engines, dozers, and a 20-person hand crew.
There is no word yet on any threatened structures or evacuations.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.