Crews stop Gorge fire that threatened town of Rufus

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say a nearly 500-acre wildfire threatened the small town of Rufus along the Columbia River late Monday, but the blaze was mostly contained as of Tuesday morning.

The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Tuesday that the fire burning near Rufus is 95 percent contained. It thanked firefighters, farmers and “everyone else with a hose.”

The sheriff had ordered evacuations after the fire broke out late Monday. Rufus is located east of The Dalles in north-central Oregon.

The sheriff’s office later noted that Biggs Junction had no power and traffic lights were not working.

They also said crews remained on scene, hitting hot spots on the fire, which burned an estimated 485 acres, and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

Wildfire season is off to an early start in a state that tends to see most of its fire activity from late July through early September. Several other large fires are burning in Central Oregon – all have more than 50 percent containment.