After nine grueling days working to protect homes from the massive Eagle Creek fire in the Columbia River Gorge west of Hood River, local firefighters returned home Tuesday afternoon, exhausted but unscathed.
The blaze, which has grown to nearly 35,600 acres, started Saturday, Sept. 2 and is now 11 percent contained. It is one of 113 large wildfires burning in Oregon and Washington, totaling more than 1 million acres.
With so many fires straining resources around the region, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has called upon county crews to help fight the flames and keep communities safe.