The Grasshopper Fire continues to burn actively in Wasco County, with more than 83,600 acres now affected.

          As of today, the fire is 20 percent contained, with about 1,832 personnel assigned to the incident.

          Fire officials say the fire remained extremely active Tuesday along the northeastern and eastern perimeters, where gusty winds fueled continued growth.

          The northeastern corner has advanced to Hix Road, while the eastern edge has reached the area of Elliott Road.

          Aircraft have been critical in that area, dropping retardant and water to slow the fire and support crews on the ground.

          Oregon State Fire Marshal structural protection crews also remained focused on homes and other structures directly threatened by the fire.

          Two additional OSFM task forces, along with a strike team of large structural engines from California, arrived Tuesday night to reinforce those efforts.

          On the northern perimeter, firefighters held the fire along Forest Road 4421 while improving contingency lines near Dufur Mill Road.

          Along Highway 35, crews conducted tree-felling operations to address overhead hazards, while mop-up continued along the western perimeter.

          Fire activity moderated along the southern edge and southwest corner, where containment lines continued to hold.

          Starting today, the Southern Area Blue Incident Management Team joined the Oregon State Fire Marshal Blue Incident Management Team in unified command.

          An Australia-New Zealand incident management team is also embedded with the operation to increase firefighting capacity.

          Today, crews will work to connect and strengthen control lines ahead of stronger winds expected this afternoon and increasingly unstable weather conditions this weekend.

          Firefighters will concentrate much of their effort on the highly active eastern portion of the fire.

          Structural protection resources remain positioned near homes and other threatened structures.

          Crews are also mopping up hot spots and residual heat to reduce the risk of the fire rekindling.

          Officials say the fire continues to be driven by wind and terrain, allowing it to move rapidly through dry fuels.

          Air operations will remain a key part of the firefighting effort, with aircraft dropping retardant and water when conditions allow.

          A community meeting is planned for Thursday, with the time and location still to be announced.

          The Oregon Department of Transportation this morning again closed Highway 35 between Hood River and the junction with Highway 26, so fire crews can continue to remove hazardous trees.