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Dozens of Oregon Hikers Trapped by Wildfires, Spend Night on Trail


FILE - Wildfire burns in Willamette National Forest, Oregon. In the Columbia River Gorge, about 140 hikers will spend the night outside after being caught between two wildfires.
FILE - Wildfire burns in Willamette National Forest, Oregon. In the Columbia River Gorge, about 140 hikers will spend the night outside after being caught between two wildfires.

Growing wildfires forced about 140 hikers in Oregon to shelter in place overnight on a popular trail about 90 mile (144.83 kilometers) east of Portland after they got stuck between two blazes.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported a new fire ignited about 4 p.m. Saturday about a mile up the Eagle Creek Trail from the Eagle Creek Trailhead. Further up the trail, another fire was burning.

Fire spokeswoman Mary Huels said a crew of about 18 firefighters who had been assigned to the south end of the older fire as lookouts were keeping track of the people in the area and getting them to safe areas.

Search and rescue crews planned to help the hikers evacuate Sunday.

Three other hikers in a different area nearby were rescued by helicopter Saturday evening.

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