Doerner Fir Tree Fire Update Aug. 20, 2025
NORTH BEND, Ore – Fire officials continue to monitor the fire on the Doerner Fir tree today and explore options to extinguish remaining hot spots high on the tree’s trunk.
Infrared drone flights continue to show one area of heat approximately 280 feet up the tree, where fire is burning a cavity into the tree. The Bureau of Land Management and Coos Forest Protective Association are consulting with one Master Arborist and two Certified Arborists, one of which has previously climbed the Doerner fir, to discuss options for cooling the fire near the top of the tree.
Firefighters remain on the ground and are maintaining containment lines and water hose around the base of the tree to reduce the risk of any fire spreading. A helicopter and additional resources are on standby, available to respond if fire activity increases as the weather warms towards the weekend.
The Coos Bay District issued an emergency closure of public lands for the area surrounding active fire suppression activities. The closure includes all BLM-administered lands in T27S R9W Sections 28, 29 and 31, the Doerner Fir Trail, and BLM Road 27-9-21.0.
BLM investigators have ruled out lightning as a cause of the fire based on weather data, and they continue the investigation into the cause of the fire. The Doerner Fir Tree Fire was first reported on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. Standing 325 feet tall with a diameter of 11.5 feet, the Doerner Fir is one of the largest coastal Douglas-fir trees in the world. The tree is estimated to be between 450 and 500 years old.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.