Wildfire burning east of Dufur grows to 10K acres overnight; evacuation levels remain in place
By Web Staff
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DUFUR, Oregon (KPTV) — A wildfire burning in Wasco County has grown to about 10,000 acres near Dufur.
Just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oregon State Police said the Wrentham Market Fire was burning along Highway 197. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office said the fire was burning wheat and brush in the Columbia Rural Fire Protection Area.
On Tuesday night, the fire had burned about 150 to 200 acres. Fire officials told FOX 12 the fire grew to an estimated 10,000 acres overnight due to windy conditions. The fire is currently zero percent contained.
The Level 3 evacuations – “Go Now” – were issued for Wrentham Road, Ridge Road, Atkinson Road, Stuber Road, Fulton Road, Boyd Loop, Long Hollow Road, Robert Market Road, Summit Ridge Road, and Hastings Road. There are 70 to 100 people in the evacuation area.
The Salvation Army and the Red Cross set up a shelter at The Dalles Middle School gym located at 1100 East 12th Street. The sheriff’s office reported just before 8 p.m. Tuesday that the shelter was closed. Anyone within the area of the Wrentham Market Fire and need help such as a place to stay for the night, please contact Red Cross at 1-888-680-1455.
The sheriff’s office said 20 residential buildings and outbuildings are threatened, one barn has been destroyed and one dwelling was saved.
Governor Kate Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the fire. The declaration cleared the way for the State Fire Marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment from other jurisdictions to assist in battling the fire. Portland Fire & Rescue, along with task forces from Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill counties, deployed crews to the fire. Air assets, including two choppers and one fixed wing tanker, are aiding in fighting the fire.
“With high temperatures and weather conditions helping fires grow quickly, I have invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act to make more state resources available to the fire crews on the front lines in Wasco County at the Wrentham Market Fire,” Brown said. “I want to reiterate that preventing wildfires is critical this year, especially as we already have entered an early season with several fires burning across the state. I’m asking all Oregonians to be cautious, be safe, and to honor all burn bans.”
It’s unclear what caused the fire.
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