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OR 58 during the Audrey Mountain fire on Aug. 8, 2025.
Prep work paid off when fire shut down a key travel corridor
Sep. 3, 2025
For more information, contact Kacey Davey, 541-280-2716
Oakridge – ODOT’s work ahead of wildfire season helped keep traffic moving and reduced impacts when the Aubrey Fire closed OR 58 near Oakridge on Aug. 7. The fire, which grew to 35 acres and prompted nearby evacuations, shut down a critical travel and freight corridor. Thanks to preparation and a quick response, crews reopened one lane of the highway the following afternoon under pilot car escort.
While the closure was disruptive, the situation could have been far worse. This spring, our Oakridge crews spent three to four weeks between mileposts 37 and 39 working with a contract tree service to remove hazard trees and haul them off. That work, combined with more than four years of hazard tree management in the same area, reduced forest fuels along the corridor. Because of these efforts, the Aubrey Fire burned less hot and spread more slowly than it could have otherwise.
The cleared corridor also made it safer and faster to reopen the highway. It provided essential space for firefighting equipment and reduced the number of trees that might have otherwise fallen across the roadway. Without this proactive work, the closure likely would have lasted much longer and the risks to both travelers and firefighters would have been higher.
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This isn’t the first time preventative maintenance has proven its value. Similar hazard tree removal on OR 126W helped limit damage from the January 2024 ice storm. That highway was closed for four days; without earlier tree work, it could have been closed for four weeks.
Some of this work has been supported through a federal Good Neighbor Authority grant, which allows us to partner with the U.S. Forest Service on projects that support forest health and public safety. But even with grant funding, it’s our own crews, equipment, and time that make the work possible.
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Some of this work has been supported through a federal Good Neighbor Authority grant, which allows us to partner with the U.S. Forest Service on projects that support forest health and public safety. But even with grant funding, it’s ODOT crews, equipment, and time that make the work possible.
Events like the Aubrey Fire are a clear reminder that proactive maintenance directly protects Oregon communities.
Funding information
While ODOT’s funding crisis is having a profound impact on maintenance and operations, most projects will continue. These projects are typically funded through separate programs, often with state or federal funds that are legally restricted to project development and cannot be used for maintenance or day-to-day operations. For more information on ODOT’s funding crisis, visit our website.
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