The Dalles, OR – The Substation Fire, the top priority wildfire in the country, has grown to almost 80,000 acres and is 82% contained, fire officials said Saturday.
The wildfire, which has been burning near The Dalles since at least Tuesday, grew about 10,000 acres overnight, bringing it to 80,763 acres. Fire officials said there are a few sections of the fire that don’t have controlled fire lines, but there was minimal fire behavior Friday.
One person has died in the Substation Fire, a 64-year-old farmer. Four homes have been destroyed, four homes were damaged and 48 outbuildings have been destroyed by the fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Gov. Kate Brown also spoke Saturday and said it’s going to be a tough wildfire season in Oregon as it’s very dry throughout the state and she encouraged Oregonians to be safe and abide by fire restrictions.
Additionally, Brown thanked all the personnel fighting the Substation Fire. According to officials, 307 firefighters from across the U.S. are helping combat the fire.
All evacuations for the fire are at Level 2, which means "Be set."
A tipline has been established for anyone traveling on Highway 197 between Milepost 1 and Milepost 3 on July 17 around 3:30 p.m. who saw anything suspicious like a car pulled over or something thrown out of a window. Anyone with information is asked to call Oregon State Police at 800-452-7888.
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