The Latest: Washington fires close I-90, prompt evacuations
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Latest on wildfires in Oregon (all times local):
8:30 p.m.
Authorities have closed a section of Interstate 90 in Washington state because of a fast-moving wildfire pushed by heavy winds.
A fast-moving fire continues to rage across Wasco County southeast of The Dalles, Ore., Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The deadly fire reached 36,000 acres Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The blaze Wednesday doesn't bode well for a Pacific Northwest fire season that's expected to be worse than normal. The region has seen drought conditions in many areas. (Mark Graves/The Oregonian via AP)
The Washington state Department of Natural Resources says the fire started Thursday afternoon near Kittitas, which is about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southeast of Seattle.
The fire had burned more than 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) as of Thursday evening. The interstate remained closed in both directions between Kittitas and Vantage.
Grant County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sharon Parlmerton says another fire that sparked Thursday southeast of Kittitas prompted mandatory evacuations in the small town of Desert Aire. The Red Cross opened a shelter Thursday evening for evacuees at a junior high school in Mattawa.
The size of that fire and how many residents were told to evacuate weren't immediately known.
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7:50 p.m.
Authorities have designated a deadly wildfire in Oregon as the top firefighting priority nationwide.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal's office said Thursday afternoon that an additional 60-member team had arrived to help manage all aspects of the fire east of Portland in rural farmland.
The fire marshal says firefighters were able to limit growth on the fire Thursday, although strong winds led to growth at the south end near Deschutes River canyon.
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4 p.m.
Authorities found a man's body inside the perimeter of a wildfire in Oregon and are trying to determine if he died before or during the blaze.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that the man was found near a homeless encampment.
An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death.
Earlier in the day, authorities released the name of a 64-year-old man who died Wednesday in a different Oregon wildfire about 350 miles to the northeast.
Investigators believe John Ruby was using his tractor to create a firebreak to protect a neighbor's property when he was overcome by fast-moving flames.
More than 200 fires are burning around Oregon as the Pacific Northwest's wildfire season gets underway.
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11 a.m.
Authorities have identified a man killed in an Oregon wildfire as 64-year-old John Ruby.
The Wasco County Sheriff's Office says Ruby's body was found Wednesday near a burned-out tractor.
Investigators believe he was trying to protect his neighbor's property by clearing a strip of land to prevent the flames from advancing.
A man who identified himself as Ruby's son declined to comment Thursday.
The blaze burning in north-central Oregon has scorched nearly 80 square miles (207 square kilometers) of wheat fields and grasslands.
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10 a.m.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown says state investigators will help determine if a wildfire that killed a tractor operator was intentionally set.
The governor said Thursday that the Wasco County sheriff has asked for help in finding out what caused the blaze that has burned nearly 80 square miles (207 square kilometers) in the north-central part of the state.
Referring to talk in the communities involved, Brown told reporters: "Clearly, you're hearing that there is a likelihood of arson, so our agencies are going to help in that investigation."
Doug Grafe of the Oregon Department of Forestry told KGW-TV that local police were investigating the blaze as a suspected arson.
Authorities found one person dead Wednesday near a burned-out tractor. Investigators believe the person was likely trying to create a firebreak, or a strip of cleared land to stop the spread of fire.
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10:07 p.m.
Authorities say it appears a tractor operator died while trying to restrain a wildfire that scorched 70 square miles (181 square kilometers) in little more than 24 hours in the Pacific Northwest.
The blaze east of Portland, Oregon, and near the city of The Dalles started Tuesday and spread into a rural farming area with vast wheat fields.
Authorities found one person dead Wednesday near a burned-out tractor. The Wasco County Sheriff's Office says the person was likely trying to use the heavy farm machinery to create a firebreak to hold back flames.
Dozens of homes have been evacuated because of the blaze.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency Wednesday, marking the unofficial start to a Pacific Northwest fire season that's expected to be worse than normal.
A fast-moving fire continues to rage across Wasco County southeast of The Dalles, Ore., Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The blaze Wednesday doesn't bode well for a Pacific Northwest fire season that's expected to be worse than normal. The region has seen drought conditions in many areas. (Mark Graves/The Oregonian via AP)
After an Avista crew cut down the remnants of a charred power pole along East Valley Springs Road, firefighters from Snohomish County dig out the burning parts as they do mop up work on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. Firefighters have built a line completely around the fire that destroyed a home and burned 115 acres Tuesday along Upriver Drive near Camp Sekani in Spokane, Wash. (Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review via AP)
A fast-moving fire continues to rage across Wasco County southeast of The Dalles, Ore., Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The blaze Wednesday doesn't bode well for a Pacific Northwest fire season that's expected to be worse than normal. The region has seen drought conditions in many areas. (Mark Graves/The Oregonian via AP)
In this Tuesday, July 17, 2018 photo, Deidre Mallgren, left, hoses down the roof of her friend at right, Lindsey Bennett's home as helicopters attack a fast moving wildfire, in Spokane Valley, Wash. (Tyler Tjomsland /The Spokesman-Review via AP)
