The Cram Fire is burning in Wasco County. (Central Oregon Fire Info)

Hot temperatures and strong gusts in Central Oregon kept firefighters busy Tuesday as they worked hard to get a grip on a blaze that is threatening small communities, ranches and infrastructure northeast of Madras.

The Cram Fire — burning through mostly shrubs and rangeland — doubled in size on Tuesday to 64,295 acres with 0% containment, according Inciweb, an interagency incident information management system. The name of the fire is derived from its geographic origin, which occurred near the Cram Ditch, located 17 miles northeast of Madras.

Level 3-Go Now evacuation orders for the fire have spread further east to the John Day River. People who have evacuated can shelter at the Jefferson County Middle School in Madras. Large animals can be kept at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds until Friday.

There are 129 residences within the Level 3-Go Now order as of Wednesday. In addition, 246 residences are under a Level 2-Be Set order and 123 residences are under a Level 1-Be Ready order.

The Deer Ridge Correctional Facility, a state prison located outside of Madras is not being evacuated currently, said Cait Linden, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Shifting winds pushed the fire away from the facility on Tuesday, she said. She does not anticipate an evacuation will be needed.

“The prison was already prepped and prepared and they were notified far in advance,” she said.

Simone Cordery-Cotter, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of State Fire Marshal, fire crews are battling an intense blaze at a time when resources are stretched thin and conditions challenging.

“The fire is very active, the fuels are very receptive and very dry. The winds have been changing, so we will see one wind direction in the morning and then the fire will push back on itself and push back in the direction it has already been. It makes for very changing conditions,” she said.

Cordery-Cotter said there have been times when the fire outpaced the resources crews had available to manage and she expects that challenge to continue into Wednesday. Winds are forecast to be 8-16 mph on Wednesday with gusts up to 25 mph.

The fire has not caused any injuries or structure damage but it has burned up a lot of grazing lands for cattle and other livestock. It has also created smoky conditions well south of the fire, into Deschutes and Klamath counties.  At 9 p.m. on Tuesday the Air Quality Index reached 189 in Bend.

Cordery-Cotter said large smoke columns tend to form in the afternoon and then that smoke falls into surrounding areas overnight.

The elevated smoke levels prompted the Deschutes County Health Department to issue a public safety reminder. The authority is advising everyone in Central Oregon to limit smoke exposure and avoid strenuous outdoor activities. The warning is especially targeted for children, older adults and those with respiratory ailments.

When indoors, the authority advises keeping window and doors closed and using an air purifier if possible. If air conditioning is available, use the recirculate mode to prevent smoke from getting indoors.

For those without access to clean, indoor air, a list of places can be found at deschutes.org/shelter or call 211. For more tips on staying safe from smoke, visit deschutes.org/smoke.