Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort

Mt. Hood Meadows has suspended all operations and evacuated its grounds after the rapidly growing Grasshopper Fire prompted a Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation order Tuesday morning, the resort's most urgent warning to leave immediately.

Mt. Hood Meadows announced the evacuation order early Tuesday, saying it was in communication with the U.S. Forest Service and watching weather conditions closely. The resort broke the news to followers on social media with a blunt admission of dread: "Whelp, we hoped we wouldn't have to post this, but here we are," it wrote, adding that as of that morning the property was under a Level 3 evacuation. It asked the public to stay away from the area so fire personnel could do their jobs.

The order came after easterly winds pushed the fire onto the ridges above Highway 35 near Mt. Hood Meadows and Bennett Pass on Monday and into Tuesday morning, according to the Hood River County Sheriff's Office. The mountain had already been closed the day before, on Monday, August 3, as smoke from the Grasshopper Fire and additional smoke drifting down from wildfires in Washington state clouded the area.

Fire Growth and Containment

As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Grasshopper Fire was estimated at 34,659 acres burned and 19% contained, with nearly 1,300 personnel assigned to the incident. The Level 3 evacuation zone covers much of the east side of Oregon's tallest mountain, while Level 1 and 2 evacuation warnings remain in effect for the central mountain and the Government Camp area. Only the eastern side of Mt. Hood is currently under the most severe Level 3 order; the north and south faces are at Level 2 "Set," and the west side of the mountain remains at Level 1 "Ready."

A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the area due to critical fire weather, with drier, warmer conditions and strengthening easterly winds raising the risk of hazardous fire behavior through Tuesday afternoon. Fire officials say the blaze grew by roughly 3,000 acres between Sunday night and Monday night as winds shifted from west to east, triggering the new evacuation orders in Hood River County. Air quality has deteriorated sharply in the area; readings in Government Camp reached an AQI of 392 Tuesday morning, climbing into the 400s near Rhododendron.

The Grasshopper Fire was sparked by lightning on July 23 and has burned largely within the Badger Creek Wilderness. It has since destroyed the historic Flag Point Lookout, a fire tower that had stood on Flag Point Butte since 1924. More than 1,264 personnel and a Type 1 incident management team have been deployed to fight the blaze, at an estimated cost so far of roughly $12.6 million.

Resort's Response

Mt. Hood Meadows President Greg Pack said he was notified of the Level 3 order around 5 a.m. Tuesday. He said the resort has typically been protected by westerly winds that carry smoke and fire risk away from the property, but this marked a second consecutive day of easterly winds, with a third expected — a shift that raised serious concern.

Pack detailed the precautions the resort had taken in anticipation of the fire's approach, describing how staff positioned water containers and fire pumps around the mountain, prepared the chairlifts to run if needed so their cables wouldn't sit exposed beneath a fire, and moved snowcats, buses and other equipment into a parking lot for safekeeping. He struck a note of perspective about the broader toll of the fire season, saying it was unfortunate the fire had reached the resort but that other communities have been affected far worse.

Fire officials expressed cautious confidence about defending the resort's structures. A fire management team member said the resort sits in a "very defensible space," which has allowed crews to build up strong contingency lines around its buildings. General Manager Pack echoed that confidence in a separate interview, saying the team trusted the Forest Service's ability to respond even if the fire moved faster than expected. A firefighter working the incident explained that the resort's slope and terrain would likely force the fire to burn downhill or backward if it crested the nearby ridge, slowing its advance and giving crews time to bring in hand crews, dozers and additional resources to protect structures.

Broader Impact on Mount Hood

The evacuation has rippled across the mountain's recreation economy. Timberline Lodge closed all outdoor operations for Wednesday, August 5, though the historic lodge building itself remains open, and Mt. Hood Skibowl also announced it would close Wednesday because of wildfire smoke. A number of trails throughout Mt. Hood National Forest have been closed as a result of the fire.

The fire is one of several burning across the state. The Grasshopper Fire is one of 32 wildfires currently burning across Oregon, including the newly ignited Round Butte Fire, which broke out over the weekend roughly two miles east of the Bench Fire near the Warm Springs Reservation. Further west, officials have told residents of eastern Clackamas County to prepare for possible evacuation as the fire continues to burn near Mount Hood, with the state closing in on a grim new record for the most acres burned in a single fire season.

Evacuation zone maps and updates are being issued by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and Wasco and Hood River county officials as fire crews continue working to slow the blaze's spread toward populated areas of the mountain.