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Good morning, Northwest.

Wildfires continue to char tens of thousands of acres in Oregon and Washington, mostly east of the Cascades.

We have two top stories from the front lines of major fires to start today’s newsletter.

Joni Auden Land reports from a fire camp in Sisters on what it takes to sustain a large firefighting crew. And April Ehrlich reports from Tygh Valley on how ranchers rescue livestock when fire breaks out.

Here’s your First Look at Monday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

‘It takes a lot out of you’: Fire camps ensure crews are fed and equipped as wildfires ravage Oregon

An active fire season like this year requires thousands of trained personnel, spread out across the state.

And with every new large fire, crews quickly establish camps the size of small cities, each containing all of the gear, vehicles and boots on the ground needed to contain the spread and save lives.

At the Sisters Rodeo Grounds, a large camp hosted around 1,200 workers fighting the Akawa Butte Fire, one of the largest of the season thus far. (Joni Auden Land)

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Top story

Oregon ranchers race to protect cattle from Grasshopper Fire

Oregon is in the middle of an extremely active wildfire season. While most of the fires are burning in remote forests and grasslands that are naturally accustomed to fire, some of these areas are critical to ranchers whose livelihoods depend on their cattle.

Ranchers like the Nogles know when wildland firefighting resources run thin, they’re on their own. They rely on their friends and family — along with heavy equipment and ranch dogs — to save their cattle.

It’s not easy finding cows grazing among the rugged terrain. The Nogles first check hot spots, like watering holes at rivers and creeks. They also lure cows with strategically placed salt licks. Then their pack of herding dogs can sniff out cattle tracks. (April Ehrlich)

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3 things to know

• One person was killed and five others injured in a shooting in Portland’s Cully neighborhood yesterday, according to the Portland Police Bureau. No arrests have been made at this time. (Casey Frizzell)
• Firefighters yesterday battled a large fire inside a vacant warehouse in Northwest Portland yesterday. The blaze emitted large plumes of smoke visible from miles away. (Casey Frizzell)
• About 5,000 homes have been evacuated and about 600 homes, businesses and other buildings have been destroyed by wildfires that remained uncontained yesterday around the Spokane area in eastern Washington, authorities said. (John Hanna, AP)

‘I don’t want to find out if they’re going to put me in a detention center’

In this week’s episode of “The Evergreen,” we’re revisiting a story from OPB reporter Alejandro Figueroa that chronicles the journey of Luis Lamas, a Mexican immigrant who called Woodburn home before choosing to leave the U.S. out of fear of arrest or detention. (Mía Estrada, Alejandro Figueroa and Jenn Chávez)

Listen Here

Northwest headlines

• Warm Springs Reservation faces years of recovery after Bench Fire sweeps through (Jen Baires)
• New video evidence upends the unsolved killing of a Black teen at a Seattle protest (David Gutman, Sydney Brownstone and Will James, NPR)
• Environmental groups fail to prevent logging project near Ashland (Roman Battaglia, JPR)
• After third crash and no city response, Eugene’s Bar Purlieu opts to end in-street seating (Tiffany Eckert, KLCC)
• Coos Bay to stop operating Oregon’s state dredging vessels (Theo Greenly, JPR)
• Oregon drought grows, reaching most widespread level in 4 years (Zac Ziegler, KLCC)
• Thorns strike early but then give up 5 unanswered goals in loss to Utah (Phuoc Nguyen, AP)
• Portland Fire lose 106-101 to Sparks after LA trades Plum to Phoenix (AP)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• How Oregon magicians are keeping the craft alive
• Portland-based nonprofit offers culinary education for those with major barriers to employment

One more look

Portland’s Chinese American community celebrates heritage at downtown festival

Hundreds gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland Saturday to celebrate the Chinese American community.

The Chinese Festival, hosted by the Oregon Chinese Coalition, featured about 40 acts performing traditional dances, martial arts and live music. Authentic Chinese cuisine was served alongside several interactive cultural booths showcasing traditional crafts, antiques and art.

This year’s event coincides with America’s 250th anniversary, giving organizers a chance to highlight the impact Chinese immigrants have had in the states. (Saj Sundaram and Casey Frizzell)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/03/fire-camp-cattle-rescue-first-look/