Crews continue battling Miller Road Fire in Wasco County

WASCO COUNTY Ore. (KPTV) - Crews from throughout the state are battling a wildfire near Maupin.

The Miller Road Fire started about 2 p.m. Tuesday and spread quickly because of high winds. The fire grew from about a thousand acres Tuesday afternoon to over 10,000 acres Wednesday. Firefighters say it’s 0% contained.

Volunteer Maupin firefighter Codey Johnson says he rushed to the scene Tuesday afternoon when the fire started. He was concerned because he knows some of the people whose homes were threatened.

“We were worried,” Johnson says. “I mean, there’s a lot of locals around here that know the other farmers around here so that’s the biggest thing -- that cattle and fields were burned up.”

Governor Kate Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act bringing in resources from throughout the state, but high winds and lots of dry brush are making firefighting challenging.

Evacuation orders are in effect for communities west of Maupin. Highway 216 was closed due to the fire but it has since been reopened. An emergency shelter has been established at Dufur High School.

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