HOOD RIVER, Ore. –Firefighters have fully contained a Columbia River Gorge wildfire burning just east of Hood River, Ore., officials said Thursday afternoon.
Calm winds kept the fire from growing much the previous night, and helped crews make good progress during the day. The so-called Milepost 66 fire was just 15 percent contained Thursday morning. By late afternoon, firefighters had completed a line around the 70-acre blaze.
The cause of the fire, which sparked Tuesday, remains under investigation.
The Hood River fire wasn’t the only blaze that kept firefighters busy Thursday. Crews from the Larch Mountain Honor Camp, the state Department of Natural Resources and local agencies responded to a one-acre fire near the Wind River. That fire caused two homes to be evacuated, according to Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area officials. It remains under investigation.
Crews also responded to two other fires that flared up south of Mosier, Ore., earlier Thursday, officials said.
The Milepost 66 fire is not threatening any structures. The Mark O. Hatfield Trail from Hood River to Mosier remains closed, however.
