Philomath Fire and Rescue sent four firefighters and two apparatus on Saturday night to the Highland Fire in Crook County, office administrator Ashley Scott reported.
The fire is located about 1 mile south of Prineville. According to information released Tuesday morning, the fire is 55% contained with an estimated size of 719 acres.
A conflagration was invoked by Gov. Tina Kotek on Saturday evening and the Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized its Blue Incident Management Team and three structural task forces to the fire. It was the fifth time the Emergency Conflagration Act has been invoked this year.
On Monday, firefighters strengthened the fire perimeter and continued efforts to locate and cool hot spots, officials said. In addition, fuel reduction work was done around structures, such as tree limbing, juniper thinning and hazard tree removal.
“Today, crews will continue mop efforts around the perimeter of the fire and have a goal to get 50 feet in depth around the fire,” officials said through a media release.
Crook County Fire and Rescue reported that the fire remained under investigation but was determined to be human-caused. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reportedly authorized funds to help cover costs.