CANYON CITY — A small wildfire was burning about 9.5 miles southeast of Canyon City within the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness near Wall Creek, Malheur National Forest officials reported on Monday, Aug. 28.

The lightning-caused fire, which was on a single tree and sized at a tenth of an acre, began Sunday, Aug. 27, officials said.

The Dry Soda Lookout and firefighters from the Blue Mountain Ranger District engine module will monitor the fire throughout the coming weeks, officials said.

Because the fire was burning within the 2015 Canyon Creek Fire scar amid an abundance of hazardous snags, officials said an “alternative fire suppression strategy” has been chosen and the blaze is being managed to provide for firefighter safety while keeping it away from private lands.

The Malheur National Forest received numerous lightning strikes in recent days and additional new starts are likely to be detected, officials said. Aerial reconnaissance and fire lookouts are assisting with detection efforts.

To report wildfires, call the John Day Interagency Dispatch Center at 541-575-1321 or the Burns Interagency Communications Center at 541-573-1000.