Oregon closes interstate indefinitely due to wildfire

SAN FRANCISCO, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the U.S. state of Oregon has decided to close down nearly 32 km of an interstate due to a wildfire, which obscured visibility, U.S. media reported Thursday.

The Oregon Department of Transportation said Interstate 84 (I-84) was closed between the towns of Hood River and The Dalles, said the report.

Photos shared by the department showed flames burning alongside and in the median of the highway as wind gusts fanned the smoke, the report read.

The fire also prompted the local Wasco County Sheriff's Office to issue a level 3 evacuation order, which urges recipients to leave the area immediately.

Residents of more than 700 homes were ordered to evacuate in an area stretching northwest of The Dalles along I-84 and further inland. Residents of more 1,352 homes were also told to prepare to leave, including in part of the town's northern end.

The fire, which broke out Wednesday, was estimated to be about 50 acres. ■