New wildfire, the Trout Creek Fire, burns 700 acres north of Madras near Willowdale

WILLOWDALE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new wildfire broke out Saturday afternoon about 20 miles north of Madras and six miles northwest of Willowdale and blackened about 700 acres before nightfall .

The Trout Creek fire was reported around 2:30 p.m., officials said. It started on Bureau of Land Management land and burned through grass, brush and juniper trees. The cause was under investigation.

Resources from the BLM, Forest Service and Jefferson County responded to the fire throughout the afternoon. Five engines, a surge crew, a helicopter, three air tankers and various other resources worked to contain it, and firefighters will remain on scene overnight.

Firefighters said smoke from the fire could be visible from Madras, Highway 97 and surrounding areas.

For current wildfire information, the public can visit centraloregonfire.org or follow fire information on X (Twitter) @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a forest fire.