A downed electrical wire is the suspected cause of the second wildfire to strike the Wishram area this fire season. On Monday afternoon, State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized mobilization of state fire resources under the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan, in response to a request for assistance from Fire Protection District No. 11 (Wishram). The county’s latest wildfire of 2011 began about 10:30 a.m. Monday, about one mile west of Wishram. As of Tuesday, some 200 firefighters, including six state Strike teams and their 30 engines, two bulldozers and helicopter, were working an area between mileposts 83 and 101 of State Route 14 to contain the 3,000-acre Wishram 2 Fire, which at one time threatened about 40 residences and temporarily required the closing of SR 14 at its junction with U.S. 197 in Murdock. The state Department of Transportation closed SR 14 at 4:20 p.m. on Monday (accept to local and emergency traffic) but reopened the two-lane highway to traffic at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. A concern for firefighters Tuesday was the fire running away from them because of the strong wind blowing in the area.