Firefighters making progress on Milepost 97 Fire

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — Favorable weather conditions have allowed firefighters to make substantial progress in containing a large blaze in southwestern Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Forestry said Wednesday that the Milepost 97 Fire adjacent to Interstate 5 is now 25% contained.

Fire managers are working to contain as much of the fire as possible before the weekend, which is expected to bring hotter and drier weather.

The department said favorable conditions allowed fire managers to call off large burnout operations and preserve nearly 3,000 acres of timberland.

The fire has burned over 18 square miles (12,578 acres) in rugged terrain between Roseburg and Grants Pass.

The fire is believed to have started late last Wednesday because of an illegal campfire.