ONTARIO, Ore. — A wildfire closed Interstate 84 in both directions Thursday afternoon near the Oregon and Idaho border, causing traffic backups for miles.
Oregon Department of Transportation officials said the interstate’s eastbound lanes were closed 6 miles east of Pendleton and into Ontario and the westbound lanes were closed between Ontario and Baker City.
The westbound lanes reopened around 5:15 p.m. while the eastbound lanes were back open around 7:30 p.m. Officials said crews were fighting the blaze amid challenging high winds.
Traffic was backed up and officials urged people to refrain from blindly following apps that could detour them onto unsuitable remote roads.
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