Fire crews were getting the upper hand on a series of fires along Highway 197 from The Dalles to Dufur.  The initial fire Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews responded to was a ten to fifteen acre field fire on Highway 197 between mileposts three and four near the Auction Yard.  But then another four to fires were reported in a north to south pattern down to Eight Mile Road off of 197.  MCFR’s Dave Lapof said crews were getting the fires controlled with one division coming from the north and the other working from the south and moving toward the middle.  There is no estimate on the total acreage burned at this time.  Crews from Dallesport, Dufur, Hood River, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the U.S. Forest Service were assisting MCFR.  MCFR, the Forest Service, and ODF will be investigating the cause of the fires.  The Oregon Department of Transportation closed Highway 197 six miles south of its intersection with Interstate 84 for a brief time as a result of the fires, but it has been reopened.