A tree stump charred from the Weigh Station Fire about 32 miles west of La Grande continues to burn late Sunday afternoon. The Weigh Station Fire has burned approximately 500 acres and was 35-percent contained as of Monday morning.(Ronald Bond/The Observer)

Oregon Department of Forestry officials had an ominous feeling about fire danger entering this past weekend.

Unfortunately, their feelings of concern proved warranted.

A wildfire broke out 17 miles east of Pendleton near Interstate 84 at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday, a fire that has grown to 500 acres and forced the closure of much of I-84 from Pendleton to Ontario for more than 18 hours.

The fire broke out less than two days after much tighter fire prevention restrictions were imposed by ODF leaders in Northeast Oregon who feared that a forecast of hot, dry conditions would make the region’s forests a tinder box.

The fire forced officials to issue Level 3 evacuation notices for people living in the area from Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area to an Oregon Department of Transportation weigh station five to six miles to the southeast. Officials also issued Level 2 evacuation notices from Emigrant Springs to the Meacham area. Level 3 evacuation notices call for people to leave immediately, and Level 2 notices mean people should be ready to leave right away. The evacuation notices from Emigrant Springs to Meacham were dropped Sunday afternoon and those for the lands north and south of Interstate 84 from the state weigh station on Deadman Pass to Emigrant Springs are currently at Level 2, allowing people to return to their homes, according to ODF Public Information Officer Jamie Knight.

The Weigh Station Fire is now 35-percent contained as of Monday morning, a far cry from Saturday afternoon and evening when the fire was 0 percent contained and evacuation notices were issued. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Dixie Earle, owner of the Oregon Trail Store and Deli in Meacham, was among those who received a Level 2 evacuation notice.

“I was concerned, but I was not fearful,” Earle said.

The Meacham business owner said many people in the community gathered at her restaurant after receiving their evacuation notices. A number took the news in stride, but others seemed worried.

“Some were real fearful, but the majority stayed calm,” Earle said.

The fire broke out on the north side of I-84 before jumping the freeway to the south side. This forced the closure of I-84 in both directions starting Saturday afternoon from Pendleton to La Grande, and soon the westbound lanes of I-84 from La Grande to Ontario. The freeway was closed all the way to Ontario to prevent trucks from overflowing from parking areas into the freeway, according to ODOT spokesperson Tom Strandberg.

“Trucks parked on the side of the highway are a safety issue,” Strandberg said.

The westbound lanes between Pendleton and Ontario were reopened late Sunday morning. I-84 was completely reopened Sunday afternoon when the eastbound lanes between Pendleton and La Grande were reopened.

Rocky Church, of Meacham, was in La Grande when I-84 was closed Saturday afternoon. He took the news with good humor.

“When I heard of the shutdown, I decided to stay in La Grande and party,” Church said.

The fire is burning on lands protected by ODF.

Resources used to fight the blaze on Sunday included two helicopters that deposited water and two bulldozers.

After the blaze was reported Saturday, seven single-engine air tankers, which dropped fire retardant on the blaze, and two helicopters that deposited water, were initially deployed, said Tracy Allen, fire center manager for Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center. None of the planes were used Sunday because so much progress had been made on the fire since Saturday, Allen said. She said a trench line was dug around the entire fire Saturday, an important foundation when combatting a wildfire.

“They are making it wider and strengthening it today,” Allen said on Sunday.

Larry Wooldridge, chief of the La Grande Rural Fire Department, who fought the fire with a crew from his department on Sunday, was impressed with the work firefighting crews did Saturday.

“They really made a good stop (Saturday night),” Wooldridge said Sunday afternoon.

Wooldridge and his crew were at the fire from 6 a.m. Sunday until early in the evening putting out hotspots. He said it provided a unique challenge because it was along a freeway.

“That added to the complexity,” he said.

Wooldridge said firefighters had to exercise extra caution to protect themselves from vehicles after the freeway reopened.

John Hascall, a firefighter for Wilson Farm in Pilot Rock, a firm contracted to help fight the blaze, was also concerned about traffic safety — not only for firefighters but also for the motorists passing the fire. He noted that many drivers took photos of the blaze while at the wheel of their vehicles.

“I was afraid that there was going to be an accident,” Hascall said.

The fire retardant dropped on the fire Saturday was primarily dropped around houses and buildings. No retardant was dropped near the freeway. Allen said that all efforts are made to keep retardant off roads as a safety precaution.

“It is very slippery,” Allen said.

A total of 285 firefighters combatted the Weigh Station Fire Sunday. Knight said that number may decline Monday as some firefighting crews are assigned to other fires. The firefighting operation is being led by an Interagency Type 3 Incident Command Team.

On the meteorological front, fire officials are concerned about the forecast for low-relative humidity this week and high winds on Tuesday. Firefighters are now working to strengthen control lines in anticipation of these winds, Knight said.