Updated at 3:45 p.m.
A vegetation fire south of Eugene closed Highway 99 and brought level 1 evacuation warnings near Ricketts and Hampton on Monday.
The blaze originally led to a level 2 evacuation warning, meaning “be ready to go,” but was downgraded in the late afternoon by the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. The evacuation warning applies to areas between Interstate 5 and Hideaway Hills, and between Hampton and Ricketts.
In addition, Highway 99 was closed 2 miles south of its intersection with Willamette Highway 58. The next onto I-5, exit 186 northbound, is also closed.
The fire has closed exit 186 northbound off ramp on I-5, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
“The crews are working a fire off Highway 99 and Dillard. Please avoid that area,” a Facebook post from Pleasant Hill Goshen Fire & Rescue said.
The web camera from the Oregon Hazards Lab at the University of Oregon was showing a plume of smoke Monday afternoon.
A full evacuation map can be found at: https://lcgisorg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e66b414d0e174afbb55321e2c64d3940.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at [email protected] or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wildfires: Fire south of Eugene closes Highway 99
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