An 18-acre wildfire in the Coast Range closed Hagg Lake to all watercraft Aug. 27, as firefighting planes scooped water from the Washington County reservoir.

The Wolf Creek Fire broke out in the area of North Fork Wolf Creek Road off Highway 26, near where Clatsop, Columbia, Washington and Tillamook counties meet, according to the Banks Post.

The Elsie-Vinemaple Rural Fire Protection District and mutual-aid partners from three counties responded alongside the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

The Washington County Sheriff's Office shut the lake to boaters until 7:30 p.m. so two scooper planes and a Type 1 helicopter could draw water for the firefight. The sheriff's office asked the public to keep the lake clear so aircraft could work safely.

No evacuation orders were issued at any point.

Fire contained by nightfall

By late Thursday, crews had surrounded the blaze with a hose line and handed operations to ODF, the Elsie-Vinemaple district said in a 10:15 p.m. update.

ODF spokesperson Jessica Neujahr said in a statement to News in the Grove on Thursday, Aug. 27, that the fire measured 18 acres and was being mopped up. "The cause is under investigation," Neujahr said. "Crews from the ODF Forest Grove District are in mop up operations today with the fire being fully lined."

Crews stayed on the fire overnight and remained on scene Friday. North Fork Wolf Creek Road is closed at its junction with Highway 26 because of the response.

Oregon fire season hits record pace

The Wolf Creek Fire comes during an intense Oregon fire season. More than 1,600 wildfires have burned roughly 2.5 million acres statewide in 2026, a record since 2024, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Human-caused fires account for 73% of all Oregon wildfires from 2000 to 2025, ODF data shows.

The Elsie-Vinemaple district asked the public to avoid the fire area. Residents who travel Highway 26 toward the coast should expect possible smoke near the North Fork Wolf Creek Road junction.