The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center says the Oak Canyon Fire along the Wasco/Sherman County line north of Highway 216 is now mapped at 15,000 acres, and is at 25% containment. The dispatch center said air resources were very effective on Tuesday. Four helicopters, one air attack, and four fire bosses and scoopers were used in the suppression effort. The center also said all containment lines are holding. Additional engines and a hotshot crew have been ordered. Two outbuildings were damaged by the fire. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday issued a Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation advisory from the Tygh Ridge/Highway 197 intersection directly due east to 60833 Tygh Ridge Road to include Hulse Road. That joined advisories issued Monday including placing all of Conroy Road up to 1 mile east and the west side of Conroy Road north of Highway 216 on Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation alerts. The Macks Canyon Recreation Area on the Deschutes River is also at Level 3. Level 2 “Get Set” evacuation advisories are in place from the Canyon Road and Highway 216 junction due east to the Deschutes River and south to Oak Springs Road to the Deschutes, and milepost 1 to milepost 3 on the north side of Highway 216. The Bureau of Land Management has closed all of the land it administers on the east side of the Deschutes River from the intersection of the Lower Deschutes Access Road and Highway 216 downstream to Macks Canyon, and on the west side from Oak Springs Fish Hatchery downstream to Craft Canyon. All boating in segment 3 of the Deschutes River is closed, while it is allowed from segment 4 but with no launching from the Macks Canyon boat ramp.
Category: Uncategorized
Whisky Creek Fire Still At 25% Containment
The Whisky Creek Fire southeast of Cascade Locks remains listed at 2,092 acres, and containment at 25%. Despite cool and moist weather on Monday, the fire continued to creep in surface fuels and deep duff layers in the east fork of Herman Creek. Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 12 Operations Section
Chief Kurt Ranta said weather conditions in the fire area Monday prevented an aerial survey of the western portion of the fire. Light fire suppression will continue where feasible while maintaining the integrity of the firelines. Resource advisors will assess remaining fire suppression tasks to minimize impacts to natural resources. Water tenders, graders, excavators, and a handcrew are arriving to carry out specialized repair activities and to replace those reaching the end of their 14-day assignment.
Williams Mine Fire Continues Spread In Morrison Creek Area
Size of the Williams Mine Fire northwest of Trout Lake moved up to 12,161 acres according to an updated released by fire officials on Tuesday morning. Containment remains at 31%. The fire continued to spread on Monday in the Mt. Adams Wilderness near Morrison Creek, consuming downed logs and other fuels on the ground with gusty winds pushing the fire to the east. The fire has crossed Morrison Creek, but is west of the South Climb Trail. Scooper airplanes and a helicopter dropped water on the fire to slow its spread, while a strategic firing operation was conducted to consume fuels around the Morrison Shelter, which reduced the intensity of the fire when it reached that area. A hotshot crew from LaGrande has arrived to help prepare the South Climb Trail for use as a control line. Fire officials say some people continue to enter the closed areas on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, endangering themselves and fire personnel working on the fire. Security guards are now staffing the roadblocks 24 hours a day. Violators who enter the closure are subject to fines up to $5,000 and up to six months imprisonment.
August 30 Prep Sports Roundup
Football
The Dalles 20, Umatilla 6
Powder Valley 34, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 14
Crosspoint Christian 42, Dufur 30
Powers 66, South Wasco 29
Cove 46, Sherman 14
Volleyball
Camas Valley def. Dufur 3-0
South Wasco def. Bickleton 25-19, 25-16, 25-12
South Wasco def. Open Door Christian 24-26, 25-21, 27-25, 25-17
Microwave Tower Fire Area Closure Still In Effect
The area closure associated with the Microwave Tower fire remains in effect on all National Forest System lands within the fire perimeter in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. U.S. Forest Service officials say although the fire perimeter is contained, active fire and suppression activities continue. The area closure is expected to remain in place until immediate hazards are mitigated. Forest officials particularly pointed out a smoldering historic abandoned disposal site that has been issuing noxious gases and smoke as the contents continue to be consumed. The disposal site was once used as a place for orchard waste, automobiles and other debris prior to it becoming federal land. A detailed map and description of the Microwave Tower closure area is available at the Scenic Area website. Closure barriers and signs have been posted at the fire site.
Dry Weather Could Lead To More Activity On Williams Mine Fire
This weekend’s warm and dry weather will create conditions for additional activity on the 11,798-acre Williams Mine Fire northwest of Trout Lake. Containment remains at 31%. Edges of the fire that aren’t contained in the wilderness and pockets of residual fuels on the interior of the fire will continue to burn and produce smoke. Officials say fire personnel will continue to monitor the fire and take action if appropriate, with a Blackhawk helicopter available to drop water if needed to cool flare-ups. An aerial reconnaissance flight found the area creating the most smoke is on the north side of the fire, in the wilderness area between Morrison and Shorthorn creeks, and is not threatening any containment lines. Fire personnel plan to wrap the Morrison Shelter and do work near the South Climb trailhead in case the fire moves toward them.
New Command Team For Whisky Creek Fire
A new team took command Friday of the Whisky Creek Fire southeast of Cascade Locks. Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 12 took over from Team 10. The 2,085-acre fire remains at 24% containment. On Thursday crews improved the Tomlike Mountain ridge handline from the Herman Creek Trail north to the fire’s edge. Aerial reconnaissance flights detected minimal fire activity, with most heat concentrated in the Herman Creek area. Some smoke was observed from within the fire perimeter.
Roadwork Planned In The Dalles On Wednesday
There will be some construction work impacting roads in The Dalles area on Wednesday. Northern Wasco County PUD will be changing out aging copper conductor to aluminum on East 15th Street between Kelly Avenue and Terrance Drive and Jefferson Street on Wednesday, with work planned between 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The road will be open to local traffic while the work is carried out, with signage and flaggers in place. Later Wednesday, overnight asphalt milling and paving along West 2nd Street will take place. Southbound traffic on West 2nd will be unable to reach the Interstate 84 on-ramp as well as the intersection of 2nd and Webber between 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon until 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Traffic seeking to head south on West 2nd will be forced to turn around prior to the one way split on that street.
White Salmon Opens Splash Pad Tuesday
The City of White Salmon will open its new splash pad on Tuesday in Rheingarten Park. Mayor Marla Keethler says the splash pad was a park improvement that was included in the city’s 2022 Park System Plan update and received broad community support. She added that especially as the community awaits construction of the White Salmon Valley Metropolitan Park District’s new pool, it was important to prioritize getting the splash pad in place. The City Council approved allocation of funding for this project in 2023, and it was fully funded through Real Estate Excise Tax dollars, which must be used on municipal capital improvement projects. The splash pad opening will be at 3:45 Tuesday afternoon in Rheingarten Park.
Body Of Deceased Man Found In Wind River
The body of a deceased man was found in the Wind River this past weekend. According to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, the body was located on Saturday, about 1,000 feet downriver from Shipherd Falls outside of Carson, but could not be accessed until Sunday due to hazardous conditions. Volunteers with specialized swift water training from Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, along with a volunteer from the Wet Planet kayaking guide service, successfully recovered the body, which was transported to the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The Sheriff’s Office says although the incident is still under investigation, the cause of death appears accidental. Further details of the man’s identity have been withheld pending next of kin notification.