SPRAY — A wildfire burning between Spray and Service Creek is restricting traffic along a stretch of Highway 19 in Wheeler County.

The Alder Creek Fire started on Thursday, July 6, near milepost 81 and was estimated to be about 20 acres in size, according to a news release from the Central Oregon Fire Management Service.

By nightfall the fire had grown to about 225 acres, and on Friday morning the Oregon Department of Transportation was advising motorists that the highway was closed between mileposts 79 and 92, an area that runs from 1 mile south of Service Creek to Spray.

By Friday evening, however, traffic was being allowed through the affected stretch of highway with the use of pilot cars, with wait times depending on fire conditions and firefighting activity.

The fire has grown to 1,551 acres with 0% containment and continues to burn south of the John Day River, according to official reports on Saturday morning. A Central Oregon interagency Type 3 team is fighting the blaze with handcrews, bulldozers, engines, air tankers and helicopters.

The Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office has contacted residents and property owners in the vicinity of the fire to advise them about the possible need for evacuation. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.