A fire that charred 10,000 acres of grass, sage and wheat was stopped about three miles short of town but continued to burn as of Monday afternoon.
The Road 11 Fire began about 12:50 p.m. Saturday, July 11. It burned west of Highway 172, near Road 11, and moved northward, then east toward Mansfield, according to Southeast Washington Interagency Team 3.
Douglas County Fire District No. 1 Chief Dale Jordan called for state mobilization on the blaze. The interagency team took control of the fire at 8 a.m. Sunday. Several structures have been damaged. The fire’s cause is under investigation.
As of Monday, resources on the fire included 35 engines, one bulldozer, seven water tenders, two aircraft and one medical unit.
The state Department of Transportation closed Highway 171 from milepost 8, just north of Withrow, and milepost 10, McNeil Canyon Road, just after 5 p.m. Saturday because of the fire. McNeil Canyon Road at Highway 2 also was closed. The roads reopened about 8:30 a.m. Monday.