Updates on the wildfires in our area

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Tuesday, September 5, 2017 - 1:30pm

Resources & Background Information below

9/16 Update on the Eagle Creek Fire:

Firefighter control efforts focus on the outer perimeter of the fire. Smoke and flames may be visible as pockets of unburned fuel are consumed within the interior of the fire.

Temperatures remain seasonable with a high of 72 degrees with east, northeast winds at 15-25 mph. The relative humidity remains low ranging from 20-30 percent. Saturday evening into Sunday winds are expected to begin shifting to the southwest, as a cold front moves into the area bringing cloudy conditions, a chance of precipitation, higher humidity and lower temperatures.

Active fire behavior is expected primarily on the southern and western edge of the fire with dry conditions and east, northeast winds. Firefighters will be reinforcing and holding lines along the west side of the fire. The Bell Creek drainage is expected to receive windy conditions and active fire behavior. Aerial operations will support firefighters with direct water drops to assist holding and firing operations as conditions allow. Mop up continues along the Interstate 84 corridor and reinforcement of lines on the east side of the fire. Work to stabilize fire lines in advance of possible precipitation will be occurring all over the fire area.

Today Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces will continue work making structures better prepared against wildfire. Weather and fire conditions will be monitored to ensure that fire crews are best positioned to protect structures in the event of increased fire behavior.

The Archer Mountain Fire is 100 percent contained with crews on site continuing mop-up, patrol and rehabilitation of fire lines.

Resources Assigned: 27 crews (5-Type 1, 14-Type 2, 8-Type 2 Initial Attack); 61 Engines; 12 Helicopters; 9 Dozers; 18 Water Tenders; 1,060 Personnel.

Additional fire, closure and evacuation information can be found at:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5584/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EagleCreekandIndianCreekFires2017/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eaglecreekfire
Oregon Smoke Information: https://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/
Multnomah County Sheriff Flash Alert: https://www.flashalert.net/id/MCSO
Hood River County Sheriff: http://www.hoodriversheriff.com/news/breaking-news/
Road Closures: https://tripcheck.com
Firewise Information: http://www.firewise.org/

9/11 12 pm Update:

Two community meetings will be held TODAY, Monday, September 11: 6 p.m. at the Edgefield Amphitheater, 2126 Halsey Street, in Troutdale and 7:00 p.m. at the Marine Park Pavilion in Cascade Lock

The U.S Coast Guard re-opened the Columbia River to all traffic last night at 8 p.m. Firefighters spent a good part of Sunday completing a successful burnout to protect the community of Cascade Locks. The fire is holding at the lower edge of Herman Creek and light winds today are predicted to blow from the east pushing the fire back on itself. Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) crews finished their structure protection and assessment work in the Level One Evacuation area in Hood River County. OSFM crews will continue to operate day and night shifts mainly along Interstate 84.

Due to the diminished risk to structures, OSFM has begun to reduce the number of crews assigned to the fire. The OSFM mission remains the same: to keep everyone safe and protect structures. Heavy smoke obscured a large part of the southern fire perimeter for most of the day yesterday preventing the use of aerial resources. Several helicopters assisted other fires in the area. With the change in winds today, fire managers should be able to get a clear look at the the fire perimeter on the east and south side above the Bull Run Watershed.

Firefighters will finish mopping up along the northwestern perimeter today near Cascade Locks after completing a burnout yesterday. Firefighters are almost finished tying together roads and trails to put indirect line from Herman Creek southwest to the southernmost extent of the fire. The change in the winds and sunnier skies will help firefighters find and extinguish any hotspots that may have been smoldering in the low-lying smoke and moist undergrowth for the last several days. Generally, the weather will allow for increased fire behavior but extreme fire behavior is not expected.

Current Evacuation Areas for Eagle Creek Fire (9/8 12:00 pm):

Hood River County:
Level 3 (Go!): Cascade Locks south of WaNaPa.

Level 2 (Be Ready): Cascade Locks north of WaNaPa. UPDATE: The current Level Two evacuation area on the north-east half of Cascade Locks is being extended east to Viento State Park, staying along the I-84 corridor. This includes the In-lieu site and the whole area of Wyeth. Level Two means that people should be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Level 1 (Get Ready): Public Land west of Highway 281(Lost Lake area) and north of Mt Hood. UPDATE: There is a new level 1 evacuation for part of Hood River: This new Level One area runs from Collins Rd. in Dee at the south end to I-84 on the north end, and includes all areas west of the following lines: Country Club south to Reed Road, running due south to Hwy. 281, continuing along 281 to milepost 12.5, then following the Middle Fork of the Hood River until it comes parallel with the south end of Collins Road.

Multnomah County:
Level 3 (Go!): Warrendale to Bridal Veil
Dodson to Larch Mountain
LaTourell
Corbett east of the 38700 Block of Highway 30

Level 2 (Be Ready): 38700 Block of Highway to the Sandy River

Level 1 (Get Ready) Troutdale: east of 257th, north of Stark and west of the Sandy River

Skamania County:
Level 3 (Go!): Archer Mountain west of Deville Road

Level 2 (Be Ready): Smith-Cripe Rd, Franz Rd, Dim Mill Rd, Archer Mt Rd east of Deville Rd

Level 1 (Get Ready): Mabee Mines Rd

9/8 12 pm Update:

Current Evacuation Areas for Eagle Creek Fire (9/8 12:00 pm):

Warrendale - Level 3 GO!
Dodson - Level 3 GO!
Larch Mountain - Level 3 GO!
Latourell- Level 3 GO!
Bridal Veil - Level 3 GO!
Corbett, East of the 38700 block of Columbia River Highway - Level 3 GO!
Corbett/Springdale, West of 38700 block of the Columbia River Highway to the Sandy River - Level 2 Be Set.
Troutdale, East of 257th and North of Stark, West of the Sandy River – Level 1 Get Ready

Latest update from Incident Command, 9/8 12:00 pm:

As of this morning, the fire is holding at 33,382 acres and is 7% contained. The U.S. Coast Guard is re-opening the Columbia River to night-time passage of commercial boats. Interstate 84 remains closed from Troutdale to Hood River due to debris on the roadway and the potential of rolling rocks and falling trees. The Oregon Department of Transportation will begin removing the first of at least 2,000 hazard trees today that need to be felled before the highway will be safe to re-open.

Fire crews will be working today to remove brush from Forest Road 2030 around the perimeter of the Bull Run watershed as a fire break to protect the drainage.

Yesterday, after the smoke dispersed near the river, helicopters were able to cool down hot spots on the steep terrain near Cascade Locks. There are currently 10 helicopters assigned to the fire that will continue dropping water as weather conditions are suitable for flying.

The state has still refused to authorize the 747 Supertanker plane capable of scooping up and dropping tens of thousands of gallons of water – state officials say conditions are not favorable.

9/6 11 am Update

Current Evacuation Areas for Eagle Creek Fire (9/6 11:00 am):

Warrendale - Level 3 GO!
Dodson - Level 3 GO!
Larch Mountain - Level 3 GO!
Latourell- Level 3 GO!
Bridal Veil - Level 3 GO!
Corbett, East of the 38700 block of Columbia River Highway - Level 3 GO!
Corbett/Springdale, West of 38700 block of the Columbia River Highway to the Sandy River - Level 2 Be Set.
Troutdale, East of 257th and North of Stark, West of the Sandy River – Level 1 Get Ready

Latest update from Incident Command, 9/6 11:00 am:

Tuesday was a quieter day on the Eagle Creek Fire. The fire did not make large runs or show the extreme fire behavior it did the night before. With the shift to westerly winds, the southeast corner of the fire, near Indian Mountain, became more active with some crown runs. An infrared flight last night mapped the fire at 30,929 acres. The Archer Mountain Fire north of the Columbia River is 112 acres and is being managed by a Washington Department of Natural Resources Type 3 Team.

The historic Multnomah Falls Lodge, built in 1925, is being protected by Oregon State Fire Marshal’s structural firefighters. Several structural engines and one aerial ladder truck have been working with water tenders to keep the lodge wetted down. Visit the Eagle Creek and Indian Creek Fires Facebook page to see pictures of the lodge.

Ian Yocum, Incident Commander with the Oregon State Fire Marshal said firefighters were successful in additional structure protection efforts yesterday. An unused residential structure was found to have burned the night before, along with 4 outbuildings, but no further structures were lost.

Today fire personnel between Bridge of the Gods and Bonneville Dam will be conducting burning operations to remove fuels between the dozer lines and the fire edge near Cascade Locks, starting at 7:30 a.m. This will cause an increased visibility of smoke in the area, but is essential in helping to provide for community and firefighter safety.

Defending private property, historical structures in the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area, the various State Parks in the area and the Bull Run Watershed will continue to be top priorities for firefighters.

I-84 remains closed from Troutdale to Hood River due to rocks, snags and other debris the roadway. Oregon Department of Transportation will be working closely with the Unified Command team to determine when it will be safe to open.

The winds have shifted to the west, bringing cooler and moister air to the fire area. The wind shift could push the fire to the east, especially in the higher elevations in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect this afternoon for potential lightning.

9/5 11:30 pm Update

After experiencing explosive fire behavior on the Eagle Fire last night, firefighters were successful at holding fire growth to moderate levels during the day. An infrared fly-over has estimated the fire to be 20,000 acres. The Eagle Creek and Indian Creek Fires have merged together and will be managed as one incident in the future. A spot fire, which spread across the Columbia River early this morning, is approximately 30 acres and is being managed by a Washington DNR Type 3 Team.

Unified command is happy to report that the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge, built in 1925, was saved by Oregon State Fire Marshal’s structural firefighters. A task force of structural engines and one aerial ladder truck worked in conjunction with a strike team of water tenders to keep the lodge wetted down during the fire storm of falling embers. Large trees nearby torched and fire crews used hose lines to protect the lodge from heat. Visit the Eagle Creek and Indian Creek Fires Facebook page to see pictures of the lodge.

Ian Yocum, Incident Commander with the Oregon State Fire Marshal said firefighters were successful in additional structure protection efforts. “Firefighters had a good day out there. We lost one small residential structure and four outbuildings. We will continue to patrol and access structural protection needs.”

In addition to structure protection, I-84 remains closed from Troutdale to Hood River due to rocks, snags and other debris entering the roadway. Oregon Department of Transportation will be working closely with the Unified Command team to determine when it will be safe to open.

East winds are expected to continue tonight, but overall the weather will be calmer than the previous night when substantial fire growth occurred. Temperatures are expected to be cooler tomorrow, but a Red Flag Warning will be in effect in the afternoon for potential lightning. Winds will shift westerly which could propel fire growth to the east of the current fire perimeter.

9/5/2017 1:30 pm

The latest information is that a level one evacuation order has been put in place for Troutdale residents east of 257th and north of Stark. That does not mean to evacuate, it means to be ready to evacuate if necessary.

Fire crews are working to slow the spread of the Eagle Creek fire, which has doubled in size since yesterday and is now affecting over ten thousand acres. This morning the fire jumped the Columbia River, something that has never happened in the recorded history of wildfires in the northwest.

Several small fires were sparked on the Washington side of the river, and highway 14 has been closed to semi trucks. Highway 84 east of Troutdale remains closed. Level four evacuation orders – which means residents should leave immediately – are currently in place for Warrendale, Dodson, Larch Mountain, Latourelle, Bridal Veil, and East Corbett.

The rest of Corbett, and the town of Springdale, are under Level two evacuation – anyone with lung issues, children and the elderly should leave those areas at this point. If you do need to evacuate, you can go to the gymnasium at Mount Hood Community College in Troutdale. KBOO will continue to bring you updates – and tune in for a full report at 5:00 on the KBOO evening news.

The following locations were issued a Level 3 (Go!) evacuation notice:

Warrendale
Dodson
Larch Mountain
Latourell
Bridal Veil
Corbett east of Evans Road

The following locations were issued a Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation notice:

West Corbett
Springdale

The following locations were issued a Level 1 (Get Ready) evacuation notice:

Troutdale east of 257th and north of Stark

There are also two separate fires burning on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. They are also causing evacuations.

A 10- to 20-acre fire is burning on the south side of Archer Mountain. It is causing Level 3 (Go!) evacuations in the following areas:

Archer Mountain Road
Franz Road
Smith-Cripe Road
Kellett Road
Victoria Lane

There is a Red Cross shelter for evacuees at Skamania County Fairgrounds. Another shelter is available at Mt. Hood Community College. Officials said pets are welcome at the college.

At noon Tuesday, fire officials said a Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation notice was issued for Troutdale residents and businesses east of Northwest 257th Avenue and north of Southeast Stark Street.