10,000-acre fire burning in Oregon national park

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A fire raged across 10,000 acres in Eagle Creek, Ore., on Tuesday and is threatening to burn some of the state's most revered natural beauty, local officials said.

"I think I can speak for all Oregonians when I say our hearts are breaking," said Multnomah County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury, according to The Oregonian. "The gorge is Oregon's crown jewel. It's our playground and we are very, very sad."

The National Weather Service issued a statewide air quality alert until Friday.

The fire threatened to reach the more populated Portland suburbs as it moves westward. Officials ordered hundreds of homes to evacuate.

More than 450 personnel worked to contain the fire, including five helicopters, KATU-TV reported. As of Tuesday night, there was zero containment.

There were no reported injuries and no major structural damage to homes. But the fire caused trouble near the the state's largest metropolitan area after officials closed down miles of interstate roads.

"Fire burning right along a major interstate, closing 40 miles of road, threatening homes -- this is a big deal," said Dave Thompson, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation. "This happened fairly suddenly. It blew up."

The fire began Saturday afternoon. A 15-year-old boy is suspected of starting the fire by throwing fireworks, according to KVAL-TV.

The fire initially trapped more than 140 hikers near Eagle Creek. They weren't able to be rescued until the next day. Each hiker was able to leave the forest without injury.