A large prescribed burn that crews began on Tuesday has now been declared a wildfire amid deteriorating conditions, according to the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP).
The North 2 prescribed burn was intended to treat up to 4,000 acres. SCOFMP said that 345 acres were successfully burned on Tuesday, but officials decided to postpone further burning Wednesday morning. Regardless, "things deteriorated faster than expected," they said.
With drying vegetation, low humidity, and increased fire behavior, officials decided to convert the North 2 burn into a wildfire dubbed the Meadow Fire. The fire is located about five miles northeast of Chiloquin, but is currently growing away from the community.