Wheeler County Sheriff's Office

08/30/2026

August has been proclaimed Emergency Manager Appreciation Month by Oregon Governor Kotek, and before the month gets away from us, we wanted to take a moment to recognize someone who deserves a little extra appreciation around Wheeler County.

Please join us in recognizing Wheeler County Emergency Manager Melinda Todd!

Emergency management is one of those jobs that often happens behind the scenes — planning for the things we hope never happen, preparing for the things we know might, and coordinating when things don’t exactly go according to plan.

Melinda is the person helping keep the pieces moving when the unexpected happens. From emergency preparedness and planning to working with our local agencies, partners, and communities, she plays an important role in keeping Wheeler County ready.

We are incredibly grateful for Melinda’s dedication, hard work, and commitment to Wheeler County and the people who call it home.

So, before August comes to a close, thank you, Melinda! We appreciate everything you do — even the things most of us never see.

Wheeler EmergencyMgr

08/28/2026

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓: 𝐉𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐦

We have received reports of scammers calling residents and claiming they have a warrant for their arrest because they missed jury duty.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐦.

Law enforcement will never call you and threaten you with immediate arrest while demanding payment to resolve a warrant. We will not instruct you to purchase gift cards, prepaid cards, or other forms of payment at a retail store.

These scammers can sound convincing and may use names or information that appears legitimate. Do not provide personal or financial information and do not send or purchase anything they request.

If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from law enforcement, hang up and contact the agency directly using a phone number you know is legitimate.

Share this post to help protect your friends and family!

08/22/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Highway 26 Standoff; Incident Ends Peacefully

On August 21, 2026, at approximately 1415 hours, deputies from the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a disabled vehicle on Highway 26 near milepost 51.

Upon clearing the initial contact with the vehicle, which was occupied by a single female, deputies observed an adult male in his mid-30s exhibiting unusual behavior. Matching the description given by the female occupant of the disabled vehicle, the deputies believed the male was associated with the disabled vehicle and may be in distress, deputies initiated contact and positively identified him. A records check confirmed the individual had multiple active arrest warrants.

As deputies attempted to calm the situation and place the suspect into custody, the individual began engaging aggressively with law enforcement and brandished a firearm. During the encounter, a firearm was discharged. No injuries were sustained by the suspect, law enforcement, or members of the public.

To ensure public safety, Highway 26 was closed in both directions. The Oregon State Police (OSP) and the OSP Crisis Negotiation Team responded to the scene to assist.

After multiple hours of continuous negotiation, the suspect surrendered peacefully and without further incident.

The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all responding partner agencies for their invaluable assistance during this high-risk incident:
Oregon State Police
Oregon State Police Crisis Negotiation Team
Mitchell Ambulance
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
Frontier Regional 911 Dispatch Center

We thank our community for their patience and understanding during the temporary closure of Highway 26.

No further details of the investigation will be shared as the investigation is currently open and ongoing.

08/22/2026

*****UPDATE********
2011 hours,

The Highway has reopened. We appreciate everyone’s understanding.

Due to the active investigation, no details will be released at this time.

********Original Post Below**********+*

8/21/2026

Update, Highway 26 is now open.

HIGHWAY 26 CLOSURE — LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY

The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Oregon State Police, is currently on scene near Highway 26 at Milepost 51 due to an ongoing law-enforcement situation.

Highway 26 is currently shut down in both directions.

We ask that the public avoid the area and seek an alternate route if possible. Please do not attempt to enter or bypass the closure, as emergency personnel are actively working at the scene.

We will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience.

08/19/2026

🚨 AMBER ALERT — VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON

Authorities are searching for 7-month-old Marcello Martinez, who police say was abducted by his father, 37-year-old Raul Martinez, early Sunday morning in the Hazel Dell area of Vancouver.

Police say Raul allegedly violated a domestic violence no-contact order, robbed and assaulted Marcello’s mother, and assaulted the baby before leaving with him. Marcello has not been seen since.

Marcello is about 2 feet tall, 16 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue onesie that says “Grandmas are the best” in neon lettering.

Raul is about 5'6", 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing tight sweatpants, a white shirt, and a blue or green jacket. Authorities say there is no known vehicle associated with him.

⚠️ If you see Marcello or Raul Martinez, call 911 immediately. Please share, especially throughout southwest Washington and northwest Oregon.

08/18/2026

𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: Rowe Creek Complex, Shingle, Rosenbaum and Bologna Fires 8/18/2026 1000

Evacuation levels have been lifted for all zones associated with the Rowe Creek Complex, Shingle Fire, Rosenbaum Fire and Bologna Fire, with the exception of the following two zones:

WHH-072-D: Level 1, BE READY
WHH-090-A: Level 1, BE READY

All other affected evacuation zones have returned to normal status.

Residents within WHH-072-D and WHH-090-A should continue to remain aware of current conditions and be prepared should conditions change.

Thank you to our communities for your continued patience, cooperation and support of firefighters and emergency personnel throughout these incidents.

08/17/2026

July was a busy month for the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office!

We welcomed a new sworn Deputy, Deputy Scott Moore and the celebrated promotion of Sergeant Hines, while working alongside our fire partners during multiple fires, including the Rowe Creek Complex, Shingle Fire, and several other starts.

A special thank you goes out to our Wheeler County community and the numerous volunteers who stepped up to help during these incidents. Your support, time, and dedication make a tremendous difference.

We’re proud to serve this community and grateful for everyone who works alongside us to keep Wheeler County safe.

08/15/2026

Hwy 19 is completely open. Please continue to use caution in the fire area as fire personnel are still working.

08/14/2026

Hwy 19 is down to one lane from milepost 74 to 76 due to the Rosenbaum fire. Please use extreme caution in this area to keep our community and firefighters safe. If you can, avoid the area.

08/14/2026

ODF CIMT-3 assumes command of the rapidly-growing Rosenbaum Fire, firefighters continue to build containment on other fires

KIMBERLY, Ore. (Aug 14, 2026) – This morning, the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) 3 assumed command of the rapidly-growing Rosenbaum Fire. The 200-acre Rosenbaum Fire is located in the Service Creek area, around mile marker 75 of Highway 19, roughly 14 miles west of the community of Spray. The fire is exhibiting very active fire behavior with active runs and group torching.

Overnight, local firefighters and incident resources provided an aggressive initial attack. Located on extremely difficult and broken terrain, firefighters are using heavy equipment to establish access to the fire. Bolstered by aviation resources, firefighters are focusing on building fire lines and protecting structures in the area with an emphasis on holding the fire west of Highway 19.

The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office has set “Level 1- Be Ready” and “Level 2 – Be Set” evacuations for areas around the Rosenbaum Fire. Community members should expect traffic delays and a possible single-lane highway closure due to fire activity and to provide for firefighter safety.

Firefighters continue to make progress on mop-up operations on the Bologna, Cottonwood and Little Bear fires and build containment.

The Red Flag Warning for Abundant Lightning remains in effect for the region through the weekend. Extremely dry conditions persist in the region, which could allow for active, quickly spreading fires. Incident personnel are prepared to assist local initial attack resources as needed.

Closures:

The Umatilla National Forest issued a temporary closure order for the Bologna Fire on August 11, 2026, which includes portions of Forest Service Roads (FSR) 24, as well as Tamarack Cabin and Lookout. For more information about the closure, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/umatilla/alerts

U.S. Wildland Fire Service – Prineville District BLM issued a closure for the Lone pine and Big Bend Campgrounds on the John Day River to the south of the Bologna Fire. For more information, visithttps://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2026-08/orwa-fpo-pri-081326.pdf

Air Quality Information: Air quality updates: https://fire.airnow.gov/

Fire restrictions: Officials want to remind everyone that during fire season multiple agencies have restrictions in place to reduce human caused fires, including public use restrictions and limits on equipment use. Check with your local fire service organization before you start the next wildfire.

https://centraloregonfire.org/2026/08/14/rosenbaum-august-14-2026/

ODF CIMT-3 assumes command of the rapidly-growing Rosenbaum Fire, firefighters continue to build containment on other fires KIMBERLY, Ore. (Aug 14, 2026)