SHANIKO, OR -- A new wildfire near the Highway 97/Highway 197 interchange, north of Madras, prompted Level One evacuation warnings in the small communities of Shaniko and Antelope, Thursday afternoon.
The all-volunteer Ashwood-Antelope Rangeland Fire Protection Association quickly responded, along with a Bureau of Land Management team and air tankers. The Wasco County Sheriff, State Police and ODOT were also on-scene by late afternoon.
As of Thursday night, the Cow Canyon Fire was estimated at 200 acres and crews had stopped its forward progress.
