ODOT Crews work toward clearing I-84; No set ETA for reopening

Frequent travelers along Interstate 84 through the Columbia River Gorge are frustrated with the lengthy closure of a section of the roadway between Hood Rive and Troutdale due to a wildfire in the region.

Traffic is being diverted onto Highway 14... and Don Hamilton with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)  says there's still a lot of clean-up to do before the road can re-open to traffic.

"We're not gonna send anybody out on that road that will be in danger, and all of that will be contingent on the behavior of the Eagle Creek Fire," said Hamilton.

The fire was first started on the afternoon of September 2, 2017, when a group of teens set of smoke bombs in dry grass. As of Thursday morning, the fire had spread to 37,567 acres. So far, at least 3 homes have been destroyed.

The fire is currently 17% contained.

A Red Cross Shelter has been set up at the Skamania County Fairgrounds, immediately across the Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington, for those who have had to leave their homes because of the fire. At one point, more than 1,800 people had been forced from their homes.

Fire officials don't expect to have the fire contained for at least another two weeks.