The Flat fire, which destroyed five homes and prompted evacuations in Jefferson and Deschutes counties earlier this month, is now almost 40% contained, fire officials said on Sunday morning.

The 23,346-acre fire sparked on Aug. 21 and threatened thousands of homes near Sisters in central Oregon. The cause of the fire, which started on private land approximately seven miles southwest of Culver, remains under investigation.

Deschutes and Jefferson Counties downgraded Level 3 (go now) evacuation orders on Thursday as firefighters made “significant progress” on fire lines.

Those control lines have held despite “several days of challenging weather,” fire managers said in a Sunday update. Crews are expecting high winds again on Sunday as they work to contain more of the blaze.

Meanwhil

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