Remote Surveillance Trailer in Redmond, OR

Redmond, OR—A large number of storm cells passed through Central Oregon on July 15^th 2026. Overall, the area covered by Central Oregon Fire Management Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry received more than 2000 lightning strikes. In the ensuing days, over 85 fires have dotted the landscape and stretched resources thin. Many of the starts remained under .1 acre, but winds, low humidities, and high temperatures have caused a portion of the incidents to establish into large fires.

Today, two additional Complex Incident Management Teams joined the ranks in Central Oregon for a total of 5 teams managing a combined 27 fires. These teams are Northwest Team 2, Northwest Team 10, ODF Team 2, California Team 1, and ODF Team 3. Each team is rostered with professionals who specialize in the various aspects of fighting fire: operational decisions and tactics, logistics, planning, finance, aviation, safety, and political/public engagement. In total, they add more than 500 personnel to the firefighting efforts in Central Oregon.

You can find updated information for each of the fires that started this week in the following locations:

Hay Creek Complex-NW Team 10

Hoag, Hopkin, Porcupine Ridge, Wilcox Fires and Incidents 456, 462, 466 and 467

Inciweb.wildfire.gov>Hay Creek Complex

http://facebook.com/HayCreekComplex2026

Public Information Line: 541.901.8026

Rowe Creek Complex-NW Team 2

Crosswhite, Camel Hump, Red Rock, Twickenham, Cove Creek, Parrish, Deep Canyon Fires and Incidents 432, 482, 501, and 502

Inciweb.wildfire.gov>Rowe Creek Complex

http://www.facebook.com/rowecreekcomplex

Public Information Line: 541.800.1280

Akawa Butte Fire-ODF Team 2

Inciweb.wildfire.gov>Akawa Butte Fire

http://www.facebook.com/akawabuttefire

akawabutte.brewers.pilot.fires@gmail.com

Public Information Line: 503.877.9324

California Team 1

Henry, Crooked, Coyote, Connant, and Pilot Fires

Inciweb.wildfire.gov>Pilot Fire

Inciwebs to follow for the other fires

Public Information Line and Facebook page forthcoming

Brewer and Box Springs Fires—ODF Team 3

Inciweb.wildfire.gov>Brewer Fire

www.facebook.com/brewerfire

brewer.boxspring.fireinfo@gmail.com

Public Information Line and Inciweb for Box Springs Fire forthcoming

In a small spot of good news, interagency resources responded to a new start this afternoon a few miles west of Redmond. The human-caused Oak Lane Fire burned approximately 20 acres in grass, brush, and juniper. Thanks to decisive action and coordinated effort between engines, aircraft, overhead, and dozers, firefighters were able to quickly handle this incident and stop forward progress. This is an example of what we like to call a “good catch!”

REDMOND, Ore. -- Amazon's new delivery center in Redmond is officially up and running, cutting shipping times for Central Oregon residents and bringing more than 170 jobs to the city.

“It's convenient so it makes me happy," Redmond resident Norma Arellano said.

In the past, Central Oregon residents would have to deal with constant delays when ordering something off of Amazon.

“We've all experienced that over the years where you order something and it takes up to a week or longer to get it, and that will be changing here very soon,” Redmond Economic Development Inc. (REDI) director Steve Curley said.

REDI is a nonprofit that focuses on bringing business to the city. It has been working with Amazon to build the delivery center for years to address to the online order holdup.

“Projects take a long time," Curley said. "This project started over four years ago when Amazon first came to the community and started talking to the city and ready about locating a facility here.”

The delivery center has been operating for a few weeks and people have already noticed a difference.

“I ordered something like yesterday morning and it said it's going to get there today,” Arellano said.

With the delivery center comes more than 170 jobs, including delivery drivers and warehouse staff.

"They’re bringing jobs into town. That's the important thing and we need that," Arellano said.

The number of jobs can grow even more as other companies see Amazon's new facility flourish.

“There's other companies that will see Amazon that are in logistics and warehousing and they will take a look at Central Oregon as wel, because they likely have customers and products that are moving to this region and need to move throughout this region,” Curley said.

Amazon will hold a grand opening celebration for the delivery center in August.

"We're thrilled to open our first operations facility in Central Oregon to better serve customers in Redmond and surrounding communities," Amazon spokesperson Farah Jad wrote in a statement to Central Oregon Daily. "This new delivery station brings hundreds of jobs to the area and enables Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery across the region—part of Amazon's $4 billion investment in its rural delivery network, which expanded same- and next-day speeds to over 4,000 smaller cities and towns across 44 states in 2025 and helped deliver more than 8 billion items the same or next day to U.S. Prime members, a 30% increase over the prior year."

Redmond’s managed homeless encampment is expected to open this month as Deschutes County finalized a two-year budget to operate the 36-site, low-barrier camp east of town.

Bend-based nonprofit First Light was selected in June to provide case management services to the camp that was built in partnership between Deschutes County and the city of Redmond, but a contract was not finalized until earlier this week.

The managed camp’s full budgeted two-year contract is $592,787 — or $296,393 per year — with funds coming from Redmond’s Community Development Block Grant Program, the county’s property management budget and American Rescue Plan Act funds.

First Light will be paid $200,000 a year to operate the camp. The other $96,000 per year will go toward security, utilities, trash services, portable toilets, supplies, maintenance, towing services and remediation.

When First Light was selected as the service provider at the beginning of June, the county had budgeted $500,000 to operate the camp for two years. First Light founder Lorenzo Perez said the budget was limited and that more could be accomplished with more paid staff.

The county was originally looking for a operator that would provide case management, but also security and maintenance, like snow and trash removal.

First Light provides community-based restorative care and substance abuse treatment. It will have one or two staff members on site for a few hours per day and offer assistance to help residents transition into more permanent housing.

Erik Kropp, deputy county administrator, said during the meeting that staff plans to prioritize camp spots for people living on land east of Redmond that is slated to be traded to the Oregon Department of State Lands and eventually development into the emergency response center known as CORE3.

Then people living in Redmond and east of Redmond will be offered the chance to move into the camp. According to a point-in-time count back in April, there were around 160 people living on county land east of Redmond.

CORE3 land expected to be cleared later this summer for the development of an emergency response center and training facility. In May, an estimated 50 people were living there. Kropp said in the meeting that only a handful of people are currently living on land set to be traded to the state.

Kropp also brought up people currently living at Safe Parking Program sites in Redmond that will have to move due to a reduction of of state funding for the program.

Commissioner Phil Chang suggested prioritizing those people in safe parking to keep them from moving back out into east Redmond or other camping areas. Chang also said those individuals could be good role models for other people who are moving to the managed camp.

Funding for safe parking was cut due to the slashing of Oregon shelter funding in the last legislative session.

Priority three would be homeless people living in Deschutes County and priority four would be homeless people living in the region. But Kropp said the county will turn first to priority one and two people when there are vacancies in the managed camp.

Hayden Homes and the Redmond Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the ribbon cutting for Hearthstone at Redmond Ranch at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, during which the homebuilder will make a donation to local nonprofit Leadership Redmond. The celebration will continue all weekend long, with grand opening events on Saturday, Aug. 1 and Sunday, Aug. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All events will be held at 2696 NW 29th Street, Redmond, OR 97756. Community members are invited to attend. Here’s the latest info from Hayden Homes:

Hearthstone is the newest community from Hayden Homes, founded in Redmond in 1989. It is the first community to open within the approximately 400-acre Redmond Ranch, an up-and-coming area in NW Redmond.

The community is thoughtfully designed to offer a distinctive living experience. Attached townhomes include an enhanced exterior package exclusive to Hearthstone: masonry accents, striking black windows, upgraded front and garage doors, and sophisticated paint schemes that create a cohesive streetscape with standout curb appeal. Homeowners will also enjoy proximity to a community park, nearby trail systems and convenient highway access for easier daily commutes and travel.

At the ribbon-cutting, Hayden Homes will present a special philanthropic gift to Leadership Redmond, the Chamber’s nonprofit dedicated to educating, enhancing and developing leaders to participate in key decision-making positions within Redmond. These leadership opportunities include volunteerism, membership on community boards or government commissions and committees, and even elected positions within city, county or state government. Hearthstone offers new homeownership opportunities for Redmond’s young professionals, and the donation reiterates Hayden Homes’ commitment to Redmond’s economic vitality as well as the homebuilders’ Give As You Go™ philosophy.

“Hayden Homes has been a cornerstone of Redmond’s growth and is a true partner in shaping our future,” said Eric Sande, Executive Director of the Redmond Chamber of Commerce. “This local homebuilder has created quality, attainable housing while investing in the economy and livability of our community. The launch of Hearthstone and continued investment in NW Redmond offers new homeownership opportunities for young professionals, small business owners, families, and the people who make our city thrive.”

For nearly 38 years, Hayden Homes has continued to build in its hometown to provide a real path to homeownership for working families–the core focus of the company since its founding. Without housing affordability, community members must look further and further away from their workplaces for a place to live.

Across Redmond, housing affordability is a major challenge. As of July 2026, the median home sales price is $519,818 (Zillow ZHVI), yet a median‑income Redmond household of four earns $120,200 annually (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Bend‑Redmond FMR Area) and can afford a home priced no higher than $500,446* without becoming housing cost‑burdened.**

This creates a nearly $20,000 gap between the typical home price and what the median household can realistically afford.

Hearthstone at Redmond Ranch fills this gap and then some with starting prices of $374,990—more than $125,000 below the median sale price and reachable by households earning at or below 74% area median income—without government subsidies.

“Today’s ribbon cutting is a milestone moment,” said Brett Swanson, Regional Director at Hayden Homes. “Hearthstone signals a bright future centered on livability, affordability, and family. Hayden Homes is proud to bring Hearthstone to our hometown, guided by our Give As You Go™ philosophy—delivering accessible homeownership and a beautifully designed community where local families and our workforce can thrive.”

At the grand opening weekend, attendees can tour model homes, pick up swag, and enter a raffle for concert tickets and local gift cards. Buyers who purchase at Hearthstone during the month of August will receive the first year of annual HOA dues paid by Hayden Homes.

Learn more about Hearthstone, the ribbon cutting, and grand opening weekend.