MADRAS, OR -- The Elk Lane Fire, burning west of Madras, is now 5,240 acres. Some evacuation levels have reduced, as crews reach 20% containment. 

At a virtual community meeting Wednesday night, Jefferson County Fire Chief Jeff Blake said the fire started outside the fire district an hour before nightfall Sunday, which gave them very little time to get their bearings, "That fire went from a single lightning strike fire to about 50 acres prior to our arrival. It started and occurred in an area that had burned previously, in 2014, and took that grass. It was a wind-driven fire and then went from 50 acres to a hundred acres to 200 acres, just at a snap of the fingers." He said, "We had fire pushing from all angles. We also did a burnout operation on Belmont Lane to protect; because we're trying to keep that fire in the box. Our crews spent a ton of time, a ton of effort and a ton of energy, and we had expended all of our local resources." That's when they asked for help from outside of Central Oregon, through the Conflagration Act, making this incident unique, "We've had them out in the Three Rivers area, we've had them out near Lake Billy Chinook, but we've never had a conflagration fire that's this close to our community of Madras."

Blake credits the state crews pre-positioned in Central Oregon over the weekend for keeping homes safe, "We've lost three trailers, one cargo trailer and one small outbuilding, but we have not lost any houses."

Luke Garcia, with fire operations, says they were able to attack it Monday from the air, "We re-engaged multiple aircraft, including large airtankers, single engine airtankers, heavy helicopters and scooper planes." He added everyone is prepared to stay as long as is necessary, "We do have two Hotshot crews working in the canyon to keep that in the canyon. They're working aircraft. We're committed to this fire, we're not going to walk away from it." Around 300 personnel are currently assigned to the fire.