Fire moves across rangeland north of Malheur Butte Wednesday afternoon. (The Enterprise/Kristine de Leon)
4 p.m. Wednesday UPDATE: Fire crews had the fire under control by late Wednesday afternoon. Fire officials were investigating the cause and urged anyone with information to call the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office.
VALE — A range fire of unknown origins erupted Wednesday north of Malheur Butte, between Vale and Ontario.
Crews from the Vale district office of BLM, and the Vale and Ontario fire departments responded to the fire, which was throwing up a smoke plume widely visible.
The fire was reported to be burning north of Malheur Butte in the area where the siphon irrigation pipe comes out of the Malheur River. A strip of undeveloped rangeland runs along a east-west ridge in the area, between developed and irrigated farmland to the north and the south.
The fire comes as winds are expected to pick up in the area this afternoon. The National Weather Service was reporting northeast winds to 8 mph at about 2:30 p.m.
This story will be updated. If you have photos or details about the fire, please send them to [email protected].
Fire moves across rangeland north of Malheur Butte Wednesday afternoon. (The Enterprise/Kristine de Leon)
A range fire burns in the area of Malheur Butte. Photo courtesy of Sarah Marsh.
Fire burns north of Malheur Butte. Photos courtesy of Emily Bringman.