CLARNO, Ore. -- Lightning strikes continue to concern fire officials tracking new wildfires in Oregon.
Just Sunday alone, 740 lightning strikes touched ground in Central Oregon.
On Monday, the fire near Warm Springs forced the closure of Highway 26. Detours were put in place for drivers.
"Additional concerns include a potential increase in wind that could challenge firefighters throughout the area," a statement from the Interagency Dispatch Center said Monday. "However, daytime temperatures are expected to be a little cooler for the next several days."
More than 300 firefighters have completed lines around about half of the fire that was started Wednesday by lightning near the town of Clarno, about 60 miles southeast of The Dalles. Other wildfires have burned about 20,000 acres along the lower Deschutes River and 1,500 acres near the town of Warm Springs.
Over the weekend, Governor John Kitzhaber declared the High Cascades fire complex burning on the Warm Springs Reservation a conflagration, clearing the way for the state fire marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist local agencies.
Clackamas, Hood River/Wasco, Marion, and Washington County task forces were responding. The fire marshal also sent five members of a Red Incident Management Team to manage the task forces.
Click for more info on conflagration and emergency mobilization.
Nearly 200 homes were threatened by the complex, which consisted of three named fires: Razorback, Powerline and West Hills.
Pam Sichting of the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center said the critical fire weather could lead to erratic winds, new fire starts and potential danger to firefighters around the central Oregon town of Clarno, about 60 miles southeast of The Dalles.
Containment was estimated at 50 percent at the Hancock complex but officials said the fires still threatened about 15 homes and 50 outbuildings.
No one had been injured in the Hancock complex of fires as of Sunday morning, and Sichting reported no new evacuations.
About 55 youth campers were evacuated from the area a few days ago, because firefighters couldn't be sure when a summer science camp would be able to get back to its field research at the camp operated by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
About 314 were fighting the fire on Sunday, with help from 20 fire engines and three helicopters.
The Desert Meadows fire, also caused by lightning, began near Frenchglen, Ore., about 55 miles south of Burns, Ore. It was burning on about 1,500 acres but could reach the Little Blitzen Gorge soon, where it will find heavy fuel of juniper, sagebrush and meadow grasses, fire officials said. It was 37 percent contained late Saturday.
Campgrounds in the area could be affected. The Coordination Center said that there could be campers in the wilderness near where the fire is burning.
Thanks to KGW.com user Beau Hull for the photos
