By Jeff Thompson, OPB
A wildfire that started Friday on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, near White Salmon, has grown to more than 10,700 acres and destroyed 14 homes.
The Burdoin Fire is threatening another 250 homes, fire officials said Monday morning.
Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuations are in place for hundreds of people in the community of Lyle and surrounding areas.
State Route 14, which handles traffic along the Gorge on Washington’s side of the river, is closed in both directions from just west of Lyle to just east of the town of Bingen. Drivers are asked to find alternate routes, including Interstate 84 on the Oregon side of the Gorge.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire.
Incident Commander Leonard Johnson said Sunday that one firefighter was taken to a nearby hospital with unspecified injuries. No other injuries were reported.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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