EO Media Group/E.J. Harris A firefighting plane flies past a column of smoke from the Phillips Creek Fire on Monday northwest of Elgin.

More residents are preparing to leave their homes as the Phillips Creek Fire continues to spread in the Blue Mountains northwest of Elgin.

Union County officials issued a Level 1 evacuation notice for Highway 204 between Phillips Creek and Valley View roads, as well as Valley View Road from the highway to Gordon Creek Road.

A Level 1 notice means people should be ready to flee the area at a moment’s notice. Combined with Monday’s orders for Ruckle Road and Sanderson Springs Road, 60 homes are now under a preliminary evacuation alert.

The Phillips Creek Fire, which started Saturday on the Umatilla National Forest near Indian Point, has grown to 1,538 acres and crept within three miles of Elgin. There are no evacuation notices within city limits.

A Type 2 firefighting team took over management of the fire Tuesday morning, with incident command set up at the Elgin Stampede rodeo grounds. Crews finished building containment lines along the south end of the fire on private property, and have shifted their to focus to stop the fire’s spread east along Middle Ridge.

The blaze is just 5 percent contained, and the cause remains under investigation.

Highway 204 remains open, though travelers can expect delays between miles 32 and 36 as pilot cars steer traffic around firefighting equipment. The Oregon Department of Transportation has advised travelers to consider alternative routes. Numerous forest roads have also been closed for public and firefighter safety.

Fire information officer Kathy Arnoldus said the fire is still burning actively, though cooler weather is expected to help firefighters gain the upper hand. Engines from Union County fire departments have been assigned to protect structures, property and livestock.

“We’re always concerned with protecting private land,” Arnoldus said. “I think we’ve gained a lot of ground in the past day or so.”

Portions of the fire are located in steep terrain and heavy timber, Arnoldus said, which makes it difficult for ground resources to access. Air tankers and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant Monday to help slow its movement.

The fire is burning mostly on the national forest, but has crossed into some adjacent private land. Fish habitat is also threatened.

For more information about the fire, including road closures, visit www.bluemountainfireinfo.org. The Umatilla National Forest information hotline can be reached at 1-877-958-9663, and the Union County Emergency Center at 541-963-1049.