DUFUR, Ore. (AP) - A new wildfire burning southeast of The Dalles more than doubled in size overnight as crews try to stop it from jumping the Deschutes River.
The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center says the fire was reported at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday between Dufur and the Deschutes River. By Friday morning, it had scorched more than 23 square miles (60 square kilometers).
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that residents along the river from Sherars Falls to Mack’s Canyon should evacuate.
Citing the Bureau of Land Management, KATU-TV reported Friday afternoon that the fire was ignited by a farmer’s combine.
A large wildfire in that same part of north-central Oregon killed a tractor operator last week.
Meanwhile, another day of active fire growth was expected in Southern Oregon, a dry region baking in triple-digit heat. Numerous lightning-sparked blazes have ignited there in recent weeks.
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