The Wasco County Commission on Wednesday formally approved an emergency declaration for the Rowena Fire. County Emergency Management Services Manager Sheridan McClellan told the Commission the declaration is necessary to facilitate clean-up after the fire. The declaration is intended to help secure funding from state and federal agencies to support comprehensive clean-up efforts, and provide resources to affected residents like safe drinking water, temporary housing, and support for rebuilding in areas impacted by contamination. Wasco County Commission Chair Scott Hege says there are a lot of needs as a result of the fire, and it will take time to get them all.
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Evacuations Whittled Down To Level 1 Advisories
The list of evacuation advisories issued by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office in the Rowena Fire area was reduced further Wednesday to a pair of Level 1 “Be Ready” advisories. Rowena Ferry Road southwest to Highway 30, south to the intersection of Highway 30 and Dell Road, and Rowena Ferry Road east to Tooley Lake and the Simonelli Road, Basalt Road, and Adeline Way neighborhood, north to Highway 30, have been downgraded from Level 2 to Level 1. All previous Level 1 advisories have been lifted.
Protection Recommended In Fire Zone
Wasco County officials are strongly recommending people going back to their homes in the Rowena Fire zone to have personal protective equipment because of toxic chemicals in the debris. Sheriff Lane Magill says there is asbestos and other harmful toxins on the properties, so an M95 mask is necessary, and a Tyvek suit and gloves are also recommended. Magill says the County is working to get more of those kind of resources available to property owners in the fire area, and a team has been put together to work with state and federal officials to make that happen.
Rowena Fire Containment At 53%
Containment of the Rowena Fire has moved up to 53%, with the size now listed at 3,700 acres. Adam Sinkey of Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 2 said infrared crews on Tuesday night were looking for any remaining heat around houses and along Milepost 30 to get them mopped up. Sinkey says suppression repair is also being done. The southern edge of the fire has up to 150 feet of cold, black line, with other parts of the fire up to 100 feet deep. As the situation improves, more crews are being demobilized and are either returning to their home districts or being reassigned to other fires in need of support. The ODF management team is also preparing to turn over fire command to local authorities.
Well Repair Lifts The Dalles Water Advisory
The Dalles Public Works Department has lifted a water use advisory issued two weeks ago. The advisory to limit outdoor water use was issued because two of the City’s three wells that are used to meet summer demands were out of service due to unexpected mechanical failures. The Public Works Department says one of the wells is back in service, allowing the advisory to be removed. Chenowith Water PUD customers were not affected by the advisory. Those with questions can call The Dalles Public Works at 541-296-5401.
White Salmon Schools Finishing Budget Work
With the Washington legislative session in the rearview mirror, the White Salmon Valley School District is now finishing work on its budget for the 2025-26 school year. District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says they are developing a maintenance-level budget. With declining enrollment, the district is reducing its staff by two-and-a-half full-time equivalent positions, but Polkinghorn says that is being achieved through attrition. He says the budget should go to the district board in July.
WAGAP Launching Driving Scholarship For Youth
Washington Gorge Action Programs is launching the Driving Leadership Scholarship, designed to support young leaders from low-income households in Klickitat and Skamania Counties by removing transportation as a key barrier to growth. The scholarship provides full tuition for a local driver’s education course, to help youth gain the freedom and mobility they need to pursue leadership, job opportunities, education, and community engagement In addition to meeting eligibility criteria, applicants are asked to share what they are passionate about, how they want to lead, and how access to driving would help them reach their goals. Applications are open to youth ages 15 to 18 who live in Klickitat or Skamania County and who qualify for free or reduced lunch or other school fee waivers. Essays and the parent acknowledgment form can be submitted in English or Spanish and should be 500 to 750 words. The deadline to apply is July 8. For application information go to wagap.org.
Fire Evacuation Advisories Reduced
The list of evacuation advisories issued by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office in the Rowena Fire area was reduced further today. The Level 2 “Be Set” areas are now down to Rowena Ferry Road southwest to Highway 30, south to intersection Highway 30 and Dell Road, and Rowena Ferry Road east to Tooley Lake and the Simonelli Road, Basalt Road, and Adeline Way neighborhood, north to Highway 30. Seven Mile Hill Road to Mountain View Dr., south to the area north of Chenowith Creek Road and Browns Creek Road, and northeast to The Dalles Country Club has been reduced to Level 1 “Be Ready,: as has Rowena River Road, north to the Columbia River, and to the Simonelli/Basalt/Adeline Way neighborhood. All other Level 1 advisories have been lifted.
Hood River County Approves 25-26 Budget
The Hood River County Commission approved the County’s budget for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year. It’s a budget that deals with the ending of American Rescue Plan Act and other COVID-19 grants and increasing costs including an 8% to 9% jump in Public Employee Retirement System costs. The budget committee that worked on the fiscal document went with making cuts this year, including the loss of a position in Parole and Probation, in an attempt to avoid major layoffs next year. Commissioner Ed Weathers said they faced tough choices. Commissioner Arthur Babitz acknowledged questions about adding a pair of positions while reducing the Parole and Probation position. He said an information technology position is being added to deal with threats to the County’s Internet security, while adding a job in the Assessment Department is to end a backlog of property assessments that should increase revenue.
The Dalles Tourism Plan To Be Put Together
As part of its new tourism promotion contract with the City of The Dalles, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce will undertake the process of putting together a Destination Development Plan. Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says she had already submitted an application with TravelOregon before the contract was awarded to get a $93,000 grant to get a contractor to help them with putting together the plan. She says a committee of stakeholders would look at branding and who the visitors to The Dalles are, and use that to develop a plan to grow tourism in a positive way. If the Chamber doesn’t receive a TravelOregon grant, Farquharson says they will seek other funding sources to put the plan together.