The Durkee Fire nearly doubled in size Monday night to reach more than 239,250 acres, or 373 square miles, according to latest wildfire reports.
A lightning strike sparked the fire off I-84 near Durkee on Thursday, July 18. It prompted Level 3 “Go Now” and Level 2 “Be Ready” evacuation notices as early as Friday, and has since grown into Oregon’s largest wildfire of 2024.
The latest evacuations can be found on the social media pages for the Baker County Sheriff’s Office and the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office.
I-84 is currently closed in both directions between Baker City (Exit 302) and Ontario (Exit 374), according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
“This fire is advancing rapidly towards the highway in multiple locations in the Farewell Bend area,” ODOT said.