A new fire flared in Oregon in the past 24 hours as the blaze near Sisters spread.

The latest fire, five miles north and northeast of Warm Springs, has charred 200 acres. Ignited by lightning on Sunday, the Bear Slide fire threatens a subdivision and cultural and natural resources. It is only 5 percent contained.

As firefighters battled that blaze, crews made progress against the Pole Creek fire southwest of Sisters, which flared Sept. 9 from an unknown cause.

Katie Isacksen, spokeswoman for the incident command team, said crews spent Sunday digging eight miles of containment lines around the blaze and carrying out burnout operations.

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"We're building a lot of contingency lines so there's another level of protection between the fire and property owners," she said. "The weather has been in our favor. It's been cooler."

Nevertheless, the fire grew in the past 24 hours, scorching another 500 acres to a total of 16,500 acres. Deschutes County Sheriff's deputies have put 251 households north and northeast of the fire on a level 2 alert, warning them to be prepared to leave their homes at a moment's notice.

Isacksen said no one has had to evacuate and no one is under imminent threat.

"The fire's still close," she said, "and it will get hotter and drier over the next few days."

Temperatures are expected to hover in the low 80s on Monday with easterly winds. The fire has created hazardous breathing conditions in the area thanks to a temperature inversion which pushes the smoky air towards ground level and traps it there. The Department of Environmental Quality warned residents in Sisters with lung and heart problems last week to stay indoors and to avoid strenuous activity.

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The American Red Cross opened a shelter in the Sisters Elementary School at

for people to seek relief from the smoke. The school has filtered air.

A public meeting will be held Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the elementary school, with fire managers giving an update and a question-and-answer period following.

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