A work-van fire closed U.S. Highway 97 in both directions south of Bend for a time Wednesday morning, followed about 90 minutes later by an injury multi-vehicle crash, authorities said.
The fire, reported around 10 a.m., closed the highway in both directions at milepost 149, about nine miles south of Bend, ODOT reported. The agency said northbound lanes had reopened about a half-hour later.
Deputies said the van's transmission blew, leaving a trail of oil. It caught fire, and there were more flammable items in the van, so the highway was closed as a precaution.
Just minutes after the southbound lanes reopened, five vehicles were in a new crash around 11:30 a.m., with one vehicle in a ditch and at least one reported injury. Southbound lanes again were blocked, with one lane reopened by 12:20 p.m. and the other within 15 minutes