Oregon Public Broadcasting

A fire burning in the Columbia River Gorge is threatening about 80 homes near the community of Lyle, Washington. Fire managers say about 1,200 acres have burned.

It's too early to say how much of the fire has been contained. The fire has burned down a barn, two outbuildings, and a of lot fencing.

But the Washington Incident Management Team says it hasn't burned down any houses. Local sheriffs asked about 40 families to evacuate. They told another 40 households to get ready to leave on very short notice.

Josie Williams is with the Incident Management team. She says the Gorge's famous winds are putting the homes at risk.

Josie Williams: "So I'm sitting here, my papers are flying everywhere, So it is windy already. And you just don't always know what the wind is going to do, where it's going to take it and how far it's going to take it."

Williams says that yesterday, Klickitat County agencies were managing the firefighting effort.

But the county's been overwhelmed, so it's handing off responsibility to the Washington Incident Management Team.