BLM officials said the fire, sparked by thunderstorms, was around 4,000 acres at 5 p.m., but as of 9 p.m., it had grown to 12,000 acres.

HARPER, Oregon — In Eastern Oregon, fire crews are battling the Little Valley Fire near Harper, Oregon, which was sparked by scattered thunderstorms.

A spokesperson from the Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) told KTVB around 9 p.m. it was sending a Type 3 High Desert Incident Management Team to combat the fire, which has grown to 12,000 acres. The BLM and Vale Rangeland Fire Protection Association crews are fighting the fire from the ground and the sky. 

At 5 p.m., the BLM stated that the fire started around 1 p.m. after a storm that brought lightning, and both fire crews initially sent six engines in total. 

The fire grew to 4,000 acres and it was threatening two structures, and fire crews sent more resources, four large air tankers and five single-engine air tankers, to drop fire retardant while a helicopter dropped water, BLM stated. On the ground, fire crews had an RFPA and a dozer.

BLM said there was a second 30-acre fire near Huntington, Oregon, but it was quickly contained.

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