Major Oregon interstate closed for 70 miles due to wildfire

Audio By Carbonatix

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Part of a major interstate highway in Oregon was closed Monday due to a wildfire that forced a small town to evacuate, one of dozens of blazes burning across the state.

The Fox Fire forced the closure of Interstate 84 for some 70 miles (113 kilometers) between Baker City and Ontario near the Idaho state line, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. I-84 is a key thoroughfare, running from Portland in the west through the Columbia River Gorge and into eastern Oregon before crossing the Snake River eastward through Boise.

Challenging wildfires have burned across the western U.S. this summer, following months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds. Federal authorities announced Saturday that a fourth firefighter died of his injuries after he and several colleagues were overcome last month by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border.

The Fox Fire was burning near the Oregon-Idaho state line about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of the small town of Huntington, which was under a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order, meaning its roughly 500 residents have been told to leave immediately.

Fueled by hot, dry and breezy conditions, the fire has scorched nearly 72 square miles (186 square kilometers) and was 0% contained as of Monday.

With aircraft potentially grounded due to limited visibility from the smoke, firefighters were building bulldozer lines around Huntington near a railroad that also runs through the area to protect critical infrastructure, authorities said.

The state transportation department warned people on social media to avoid the area, adding that no local detours were available due to other roads also being closed due to fire.

Elsewhere in eastern Oregon, the state transportation department's website showed a rural stretch of U.S. Route 20 was also closed Monday due to wildfire for nearly 70 miles, between the small cities of Burns and Vale.

In central Oregon, the Akawa Butte Fire was deemed a top priority for firefighting due to its proximity — about 5 miles (8 kilometers) — to Sisters, a small city of about 3,000 people. While authorities said Sunday that fire activity had decreased across much of the fire, part of the town is still under an evacuation notice with residents told to be prepared to leave if necessary.