UPDATED Friday, Sept. 15: Interstate 84 westbound between Hood River and Troutdale will be closed between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday as crews remove trees, Oregon Department of Transportation officials said.

Eastbound lanes of I-84 remain closed.

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Westbound lanes of Interstate 84 reopened Thursday evening after it was closed by the Eagle Creek wildfire in the Columbia River Gorge for more than a week.

The highway's westbound lanes are open between Hood River and Troutdale, Oregon Department of Transportation officials said at 6:30 p.m.

Eastbound lanes remain closed with no estimate for when they will reopen.

Though the westbound highway is open, travelers should avoid the area unless they have to pass through, Oregon Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kimberly Dinwiddie said.

"It's still dangerous out there," Dinwiddie said. "We're still fighting fires."

Drivers are not allowed to stop on the highway. Any stopped cars will be towed, Dinwiddie said.

The Eagle Creek fire is still active and the road is smoky, said Lt. Damon Simmons, a spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

"We can't have people stopping alongside the road. We can't have people blazing through the scene," Simmons said. "There's just such a high danger on this road."

Emergency crews will be on the highway and transportation officials ask that travelers watch for and move over for emergency vehicles.

All off-ramps between milepost 62 and 17 will remain closed, including ramps in and out of Cascade Locks.

The Eagle Creek fire, which started on Sept. 2, is 37,567 acres and still growing. The flames closed I-84 on Sept. 4.

Evacuation notices of varying severity remain in effect in Multnomah County and Hood River County, though some evacuees have been allowed to return home. Four homes have been destroyed. The fire is 17 percent contained.

If fire conditions change, westbound lanes could close again, Dinwiddie said. Officials advise travelers check TripCheck for updates.

Hundreds of trees have been removed from along Interstate 84, and rock scalers could be seen knocking rocks from a ridge near the interstate in the Bonneville Dam area during a media tour Thursday.

The 84 closure is the longest in recent memory, even including winter storm closures.

Jim Ryan contributed to this report.

-- Samantha Matsumoto

smatsumoto@oregonian.com