Crews are mopping up a fire that started Wednesday south of Heritage Landing along the Deschutes River.  Forest Service spokesperson Katie Santini says the fire, a part of which is on Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs land, has been turned over to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for mop up.  The fire burned an estimated 900 acres, and is listed as 85 percent contained.  It started late Wednesday morning, but multiple agencies responded and were able to get a line around the fire, which was down to hot spots by night time.  An air attack with two planes and a helicopter was utilized to help bring the fire under control.  The fire burned in steep ground along a canyon, and high winds caused issues for firefighters in the effort to bring it under control.

Three nights of Interstate 84 ramp closures in the Hood River area begin Thursday night, with more planned for Friday night and Sunday night.  Westbound on- and off-ramps at the Hood River City Center exit 63 will be closed for paving from 8 p.m. Thursday night until 8 a.m. Friday morning.  2nd Street will be narrowed to one lane and the signal will be turned off as crews pave the 2nd Street interchange on north the north side of I-84, with flaggers directing traffic.   The left lane of I-84 in the eastbound direction will be paved through Hood River from exit 62 to 64 during that time.  Friday night beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing until Saturday morning at 9 a.m., westbound on- and off-ramps at exit 63 and on-ramp at exit 64 will be closed as crews pave the right lane of I-84 in the westbound direction with the exit 62 on-ramp available to access westbound I-84.   Then starting Sunday night at 8 p.m. until Monday at 8 a.m. westbound on- and off-ramps at exit 62 will be closed, with exit 63 and 64 on-ramps open.

Work to place an aerial fiber optic line in downtown The Dalles will be taking place Friday starting at 8:30 a.m.  Underground Specialties will have a crew placing an aerial fiber optic line starting in the alley way between 2^nd and 3^rd Streets in the block of Court and Union Streets.   This will continue along west side of Union St south then head east crossing Union Street and end in the alley way between 3^rd and 4^th Streets in the block of Union and Court behind Washington Federal Bank.   Drive through for Washington Federal Bank will remain open, but all other traffic is asked to take an alternate route.  Duration of work should be no more than a day.  Although traffic will be flagged around the construction site, alternative routes are advised.

Fire crews are dealing with a fire that started early this afternoon south of Heritage Landing along the Deschutes River.  Forest Service spokesperson Katie Santini says the fire is estimated to be 300 acres in size.  There are some structures in the area, but Santini indicated they are not immediately threatened by the fire.  Multiple agencies have responded to the fire, and an air attack is underway with two planes and a helicopter involved.  There are also four engines and a hand crew on scene.  The fire is burning in steep ground along a canyon, and high winds are causing issues for firefighters in the effort to bring it under control.

The City of Hood River is progressing on some of its biggest capital improvement projects during this summer construction season. City Manager Steve Wheeler gave an update to the City Council at their Monday evening meeting.  Wheeler says the Rand Road water system work has been done with road repair work to be finished later this month, and the sewer line between Second Street and Sherman is also finished.  He noted 12th Street is now closed from State to May as water and sewer improvements continue.  Wheeler added odor control work at the municipal wastewater treatment plant should wrap up by the end of the year.

Wasco County Commissioners have been discussing planning for the long-term future of the County Courthouse in recent weeks.  Commissioner Scott Hege says they have looked at potential purchases of properties in the vicinity of the courthouse on Washington Street in The Dalles.  The County already owns four pieces of property in the area that are used for offices and parking.  Hege adds this is a discussion dealing with needs 20 to 50 years down the road.  Hege notes there is still the space that used to house the County Jail in the courthouse, but past explorations of the cost of renovation have found a substantial expense.

Hood River County Forester Doug Thiesies says last week’s Neal Creek Fire that burned on County forestland did not burn a substantial amount of harvestable timber.  Thiesies says the County was fairly fortunate the fire did not cause more damage.  He estimated about 100,000 board feet of timber was probably lost, but added it was not the County’s most productive land.  The County’s annual timber harvest is about nine-and-a-half million board feet.  Thiesies noted a quick response from Oregon Department of Forestry crews and other fire agencies helped prevent a larger amount of damage.  The cause of the fire is under investigation, but is believed to be human caused.  It was declared 100 percent contained over the weekend.

Two farms in the region will be honored as Century Farms in a ceremony at the Oregon State Fair later this month.  Omeg Family Orchards in Wasco County and the Alley Ranch in Sherman County will receive the designation.  Omeg Family Orchards was founded in 1905 by August & Edna Renken, and is currently owned by grandson Mel Omeg.  Early crops included cattle, hay, apricots, cherries, peaches, & watermelon, and as the region became more oriented to apple, pear, & cherry production, the farm followed suit and went from raising a variety of crops and animals to a large-scale fruit production, with sweet cherries the main crop today.  Alley Ranch was founded in Sherman County in 1915 by T.W. Alley, and the early crops were wheat, oats, barley, cattle and horses.  Over the years, the farm has continued to grow wheat and barley utilizing conservation practices to keep the land in optimal condition.  Dwight and Charmayn Alley now farm the land with many family members helping out throughout the seasons.

The Port of The Dalles is looking at how its properties might fit into the value-added agriculture sector.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says most of the leads they receive from the state in that area have been for very large projects this region’s land supply cannot provide.  But she says it has sparked the idea of some kind of food hub that can emphasize the technology now used in the food industry.  Another area of exploration is a tie-in between agriculture and the growing unmanned aerial vehicle industry.

Two people were injured in a one-car accident early Monday morning on Highway 141 about two miles north of Husum.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the car was southbound near milepost nine when it swerved to miss a deer and went off the roadway, striking an embankment of a driveway, then continuing before coming to rest in the southbound ditch.  The driver, a 24-year-old man from Vancouver, and the passenger, a 23-year-old man from White Salmon, were taken to Skyline Hospital for treatment of injuries.  The accident occurred Monday at about 3:50 a.m.