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Evac Levels For Microwave Tower Fire In Place For The Weekend

Posted on by mbailey

Evacuation levels are going to remain in place in the area of the Microwave Tower Fire through the weekend.  Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill said in a statement that after reviewing the current situation Friday morning, the decision was made based on the weekend weather forecast and ongoing activity of first responders within the fire perimeter.  Magill says he and fire command will reassess the situation on Monday.  The only remaining area on Level 2 is from Highway 30 south to Hood River Road, east to Rock Creek and Huskey Road, and west to the Hood River County line.  Other locations are in Level 1 and remain in that status.  Interior firing operations within the fire perimeter were successful on Thursday, and along with continued mopping up along the fireline the containment level moved up to 84% today.  Fire size remains steady at 1,311 acres.  The fire line along the northeastern edge of the fire has been improved.  The Central Cascades Interagency Management Team says crews Friday were continuing to monitor the entire fire’s perimeter to ensure the continued security of lines, extinguishing hot spots where accessible, and working to increase containment from Old Highway 30 to Interstate 84.  With hot and dry conditions, residual pockets of vegetation will continue to burn producing visible smoke and potential flames.  Drivers are asked to use caution on Interstate 84 as firefighters are still working in the area.  The Columbia River Highway State Trail remains closed, and Elder Road has reopened to local traffic only.

 

Dry Heat Increases Whisky Creek Fire Activity

Posted on by mbailey

Hot and dry weather further dried out forest fuels and led to a slight increase in activity on the Whisky Creek Fire in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness about six miles southeast of Cascade Locks.  Size of the fire went up to 934 acres, with no containment.  Growth has been along the western slope of Wooly Horn Ridge and to the south.  A helicopter dropped water along the northern edge of the fire on Thursday to mitigate any potential flare-ups along the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire area while crews continued to work on containment lines to the south.  Smoke is expected to be visible from Hood River and communities on the Highway 35 corridor.  Fire managers are watching for opportunities to conduct tactical firing operations to remove potential fire fuels and limit fire spread.  A community meeting to provide an update on this fire is scheduled for this evening at 7 p.m. at the Wy’east Fire District station on 3431 Odell Highway in Odell.

HR County Implements Trail & Road Closures For Fire Suppression Efforts

Posted on by mbailey

Hood River County on Thursday implemented additional trail and road closures on its lands due to Whisky Creek Fire suppression efforts.  The County has closed all trails and roads to the west of Trail-14, including Post Canyon Rd. above 7 Streams Staging Area, Post Flats Staging Area, Mitchell Ridge, Mobius, Spaghetti Factory, Trail-133/Borderline, Trail-130/Whip snake, Blade Runner, and Moto-Ghetti.  Hood River County Forestry says fire teams will be working through the area with heavy equipment to establish contingency fire lines.  The closure is expected to remain in place until progress is made in containing the fire, and the County is asking people to not approach machinery or the closed area.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office is patrolling and enforcing this closure.

Lower Deschutes River To Stay Open For Steelhead Fishing

Posted on by mbailey

The Lower Deschutes River will remain open for steelhead fishing.  The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says more than 21,000 unmarked summer steelhead have passed Bonneville Dam since July 1, the highest run to date in nearly 10 years, though still well below the 20-year average as the upriver summer steelhead run has been at historically low levels for much of the last decade.  ODFW says the John Day, Umatilla, Grand Ronde and Imnaha Rivers are also on track to be open.  The fisheries use Passive Integrated Transponder tag returns over Bonneville and Ice Harbor dams to determine if runs are healthy enough to allow for fishing.  Summer steelhead don’t return to these rivers until later in the year.  A few regulation updates are in effect.  The lower John Day bag limit is one hatchery steelhead until Aug. 29.  Thermal angling sanctuaries are in place, meaning angling is closed through Sept. 15 in the Deschutes River mouth and other areas on the mainstem Columbia River.  New for this year, the Walla Walla River is closed to steelhead fishing under permanent regulations.

OSFM Pre-Positions Task Forces In Central Oregon

Posted on by mbailey

With hot temperatures, Red Flag Warnings in place, and lightning in the forecast, the Oregon State Fire Marshal is pre-positioning two structural task forces in Central Oregon.  The task forces are from Lincoln and Polk counties, and have 26 firefighters, eight engines, and two water tenders.  Pre-positioning resources is a tool the OSFM has because of 2021’s Senate Bill 762.  These resources are not assigned to a specific incident but are added capacity for initial attack on any new fires.  The two task forces will be pre-positioned for 72 hours and could be extended for up to two weeks if needed.  The OSFM has four task forces from Clackamas, Clatsop, Washington, and Yamhill counties and its Green Incident Management Team assigned to the Telephone Fire in Harney County.  The Emergency Conflagration Act was invoked for that fire on Thursday, marking the tenth Conflagration to be declared this summer. 

Microwave Tower Fire Containment At 79%; Some Evacuation Levels Drop

Posted on by mbailey

The containment level for the Microwave Tower Fire west of Mosier jumped up to 79% this morning, and the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office downgraded the evacuation advisory for one nearby area.  The evacuation advisory for the area from the border of Hood River and Wasco County, south to the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, and west to the intersection of Highline Road and Old Columbia River Drive, and north to the Columbia River, has been reduced from Level 2 to Level 1.  The only remaining area on Level 2 is from Highway 30 south to Hood River Road, east to Rock Creek and Huskey Road, and west to the Hood River County line.  Other Level 1 locations remain in that status.  The fire did not grow in the last 24 hours, remaining at 1,311 acres.  The focus of fire crews in recent days has been on the north side of the fire.  Central Cascades Interagency Management Team Special Operations Chief Colby Burtalatto says there are still visible smokes in that area, but there are no issues for containment lines, Interstate 84, and the railroad tracks.  The Columbia River Highway State Trail remains closed, and Elder Road has reopened to local traffic only.

Whisky Creek Fire Stays At 891 Acres

Posted on by mbailey

The north side of the Whisky Creek Fire in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness has backed into the Eagle Creek Fire burn scar, slowing its progression.  The fire is 891 acres in size, with no containment.  Central Cascades Interagency Management Team Special Operations Chief Colby Burtalatto says on the east side of the fire, crews are working on an indirect fire line on the 408 trail, prepping it with handline and sawline along with a hose lay, bringing it into the 409 trail to tie it into the Pacific Crest Trail to the south.  Crews are also working on contingency lines from the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire if lines closer to the fire do not hold, tying them in at Mitchell Point.  Those could be used for a burn operation over the weekend, which would increase the amount of smoke visible from Hood River.  The fire is 891 acres in size, with no containment.

Notice Of Intent Filed For Solar Project East Of Grass Valley

Posted on by mbailey

The Oregon Department of Energy has received a Notice of Intent from a company looking to develop a solar power project east of Grass Valley.  Brookfield Renewable U.S. made the filing for the solar power facility that would be coupled with a battery energy storage system that the company says would allow it to generate about 900 megawatts of energy, making it one of the largest solar projects in Oregon.  It is proposed to be located near the Oregon Raceway just outside of Grass Valley, next to an existing transmission line.  The company says that would eliminate the need for additional transmission lines to reach the grid.  The company also says the design of the solar arrays will be in “ribbons” along the edges of fields to protect existing agricultural and wildlife corridors, allowing continued agricultural use of the land.  Brookfield Renewable U.S. is based in New York City, and has hydropower, wind, solar and energy storage facilities in 34 states.  The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council has not set a timeline for proceeding with the notice of intent.  Brookfield has set up a website for the Sherman County project at speedwaysolarproject.com.  

 

Personal Use Huckleberry Picking Permits Available For Pinchot

Posted on by mbailey

Personal use huckleberry permits are now available for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  A free-use permit for personal consumption is available to remove up to one gallon of berries per day, and a total of three gallons per year.  Berries obtained with a free-use permit cannot be sold.  The permits are available only online through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website.  Print the permit or save it to your mobile device, along with conditions for use, and a map of the locations open to free-use berry collection.  Some areas of the Pinchot are closed to huckleberry collection, including the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, all legislated wildernesses, and the “Handshake Agreement” area of the Sawtooth Berry Fields, which is reserved for Yakama Nation members.  Commercial use permits will be available at the Trout Lake Ranger District office beginning on August 12.

Evacuation Levels Reduced For Microwave Tower Fire

Posted on by mbailey

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday afternoon some reductions to evacuation advisories as a result of the Microwave Tower Fire.  The area from Highway 30 south to Hood River Road, east to Rock Creek and Huskey Road, and west to the Hood River County line was reduced from Level 3 to Level 2.  The City of Mosier from Rock Creek, east to Mosier Creek Road, south to the intersection of Huskey Road and Ponderosa Place and Blanchard Boulevard, and west to Rock Creek was lowered from Level 2 to Level 1, as was the area from the Hood River County border in the west, east to Huskey Road, southwest to the intersection of Huskey and Elder Road, and north to just south of Hood River Road.  All other evacuation levels are unchanged.  Containment has remained at 53% for a few days now, but Central Cascades Interagency Management Team Public Information Officer Paul Brooking says that will change as lines are widened.  No growth was reported, even though the size of fire was increased to 1,311 acres due to more accurate mapping.  Firefighters are continuing mop-up on the northwestern side of the fire, while water tenders and engines will be utilized on the northeastern side to put water on areas with heat.

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