The Canyon Creek Complex fire is still growing, but shelters are closing up and people are heading home after days away.
Overnight, the blaze grew to more than 67-thousand acres, about a 10 percent increase from yesterday. Fire officials say a lot of that was strategic – they’re burning land with controlled blazes to funnel the fire into an area that was burned three years ago.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says 39 homes have been destroyed in the fire so far. That’s up from 36 the day before. Still, many evacuation alerts have been downgraded and people are returning home. American Red Cross is closing down its shelter near the blaze to head up north.
A big concern now is the smoke. Yesterday, the wind blew smoke south away from town, but today it is thick.
Meanwhile, firefighters are still working to contain the Jerry’s Draw fire about 12 miles away. That fire has grown to 240 acres, but fire officials say it’s too far away to connect with the larger blaze near John Day.
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