WARM SPRINGS, OR -- A new wildfire forced the closure of Highway 26 in Warm Springs for about six hours Monday. It was first spotted around 2 p.m., and was initially called the Cancer Fire. It was later renamed Mecca Fire.
Indian Head Casino and the Museum at Warm Springs were evacuated as a precaution, and Level Three and Level Two evacuation alerts were issued for homes in the Greeley Heights subdivision. The Red Cross opened a shelter at the Warm Springs Community Center for those forced out of their homes.
Crews from Jefferson County, Sisters, Black Butte Ranch, Cloverdale, Redmond and Crooked River Ranch were activated as part of a task force to fight the fire, which is estimated at between 500 and 800 acres.
