BEND, OR -- A small brush fire broke out along the Empire onramp to northbound Highway 97, Sunday afternoon. Bend Fire and Rescue received multiple calls just after 3 p.m.

When crews arrived, they discovered about a quarter-acre fire just east of the road, near the railroad tracks. They quickly stopped forward progress and say the fire didn’t jump the tracks, nor were any structures threatened. Train and vehicle traffic were both impacted during the firefight.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.