U.S. Highway 97 was closed for approximately two hours south of Chemult on Wednesday afternoon due to a forest fire, according to Oregon State Police.

In a news release, the OSP said the fire about 16 miles south of Chemult was discovered on the east side of the highway at around 1:30 p.m. The Oregon Department of Transportation later closed both lanes of the highway, then re-opened traffic in one lane with the aid of a pilot car at around 4:24 p.m.

Ground-based crews from the Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, local fire departments and two logging companies fought the fire, joined by two retardant-dropping planes and a helicopter with a water bucket.

A trooper estimated the fire burned 10 acres of private timberland, while the Forest Service put the burned area at 30 acres. The cause of the fire has not been determined.