Southeast Oregon Wildfire Grows, Interstate 84 Reopens

By Amanda Peacher (OPB)
Aug. 6, 2015 12:50 a.m.

Courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management, Vale District

There are new wildfires burning in Southeast Oregon. The largest is the Lime Hill Fire, which grew from 600 acres to 7,000 acres Wednesday. The 434-resident community of Huntington has issued a level one evacuation notice, which means residents should prepare to evacuate.

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Interstate 84 was closed for part of the night in both directions near the Idaho-Oregon border. It reopened around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday night.

"So far, we've been able to hold the highway," said Bob Narus, Vale District Fire Management Officer in a press release. "But Huntington is still under threat."

The Bureau of Land Management said the fire  is burning in sage grouse habitat, and the agency is calling for additional resources to try to suppress the fire. Crews on the ground are using fire engines, bulldozers, air tankers and helicopters to fight the fire.

The BLM said the potential for the fire to continue to spread is high given hot and dry weather conditions.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

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