DAYVILLE – Firefighters were dispatched Monday to fight a fire burning in the steep Cummings Creek drainage between Mt. Vernon and Dayville.

The fire was reported about 3 p.m., and threatened two structures as it spread to an estimated 15-20 acres. It was burning in grass and juniper, and the steep terrain challenged efforts to halt its spread.

The Mt. Vernon Rural Fire Department and crews from the Oregon Department of Forestry’s John Day Unit responded to the fire.

ODF said resources dispatched included four five-person crews, seven engines, two air tankers, two helicopters and two dozers.

The fire was one of two reported Monday in Grant County, as fire crews also responded to quell a grass fire west of Prairie City.

Highway officials temporarily restricted traffic on Highway 26 during the suppression efforts.

Fire conditions remained extreme in the John Day Valley, although cooler temperatures were expected to give firefighters a bit of a break at midweek.

Over the weekend, a blanket of smoke swept into the valley from larger fires in Central Oregon.