No change in the figures for the Williams Mine Fire northwest of Trout Lake, with containment still at 31% and acreage remaining at 11,778. The U.S. Forest Service did reopen a section for Forest Service Road 23 north of the junction of Forest Service Road 90 to allow for traffic between Trout Lake and Randle. Road 23 south of the junction remains closed due to fire suppression activity. Wednesday was the first full day for a local Type 3 Incident Management Team. They continued fuels abatement on contingency lines and more suppression repair work has been completed, including erosion control. With warmer temperatures, more smoke has been visible from the fire. A reconnaissance flight Wednesday found none of the areas with active burning posed a threat to current containment lines.
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Election Officials Remind People To Be “Vote Ready”
Election officials are reminding people to be “Vote Ready” for the upcoming general election. Wasco County Clerk Lisa Gambee encourages voters to check their registration and make sure the information on it is accurate, particularly the address so you receive a ballot on time. Gambee says if you’ve changed your name, or you’ve received a letter from county election officials about a signature question at some point, it’s not a bad idea to check your registration for accuracy. You can check your voter registration at oregonvotes.org, or go to your local elections office.
Overdose Awareness Walk Saturday
Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living and One Community Health are partnering to host an Overdose Awareness Walk and Resource Fair in The Dalles on Saturday. Jordan Clymer of One Community Health says they hope to raise awareness about the devastating impact opioids have on our communities. The walk begins and ends at Lewis and Clark Festival Park on Saturday morning, followed by a resource fair in the park where attendees can access information and resources from local organizations committed to addiction prevention and recovery. The walk starts at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, and participants are encouraged to wear purple.
Williams Mine Fire Command Transferred
Containment of the Williams Mine Fire remains at 31% as command of the fire scene was transferred to a Type 3 Incident Management Team on Tuesday evening. Size remains at 11,778 acres. Crews continue patrolling and monitoring the fire for heat near established control lines. Tuesday’s dry and windy weather caused an increase in fire activity, nearly all of it in the interior. To the west, the shaded fuel break on Forest Service Road 23 is nearing completion. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is working to reopen part of that road not impacted by the fuel break work, to provide an alternate route between Trout Lake and Randle.
Whisky Creek Fire Acreage Up Slightly
The reported size of the Whisky Creek Fire went up slightly to 2,084 acres, while containment stays at 24%. Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 10 Operations Section Chief Cary Neu says work continues to the southeast of the fire to tie-in hand line with the fire’s edge. Patrols and suppression on the eastern perimeter of the fire continues, while very little activity has been observed on the fire’s western edge.
Municipal Election Filing Deadline Passages
The deadline to file for November’s municipal elections in The Dalles and Hood River was Tuesday. In The Dalles, only one of the three Council seats on the ballot will have a contested race. Position 4 incumbent Dan Richardson is opposed by Debra Liddell Gomez. Ben Wring is unopposed for position 2 as Darcy Long did not file for re-election, while incumbent Rod Runyon is unopposed for position 5. In Hood River, four candidates are running for the three available City Council positions, with Gladys Rivera the lone incumbent to file. The others to file are Anna Cavaleri, Amanda Goeke, and Curtis Ivy. Megan Saunders and Mark Zanmiller are not seeking re-election. Incumbent Paul Blackburn is the only person to file for the Mayor’s seat. In Cascade Locks, Brenda Wood and Pete Happy are running for Mayor while there are nine candidates for City Council, including Bernard Seeger, Butch Miller, Courtnee Keilman, Emily Seely, Marianne Bump, Samuel Murillo, Scott Jackson, Sean Crompton, and Tiffany Pruit.
WAGAP Conducting Community Needs Assessment
Washington Gorge Action Programs is conducting a Community Needs Assessment to use in developing its strategies and service priorities in Klickitat and Skamania counties. WAGAP Executive Director Jennifer Pauletto says they last did an assessment in 2020, and it’s important to stay in contact with the people they serve. Surveys in English and Spanish are available online at wagap.org or at one of the WAGAP Food Bank offices in Bingen, Stevenson, or Goldendale. For every completed survey, one per person, Beneventi’s Pizza in Bingen and Tony’s Pizza in Goldendale are offering a free slice of pizza, and A&J Market in Stevenson is offering a $5 coupon at its hot deli counter. The assessment is being done through September 30.
Crews Knock Down Fire Near Highway 97
Klickitat County Rural Fire District 7 and other area crews knocked down a fire late Tuesday afternoon near Highway 97. According to the Klickitat County Emergency Management Department, the fire was near milepost 7. No size estimate is available. A Level 1 evacuation advisory was put in place during the firefighting effort in the area of Highway 97, Highway 14, and Hoctor Road. That advisory was lifted around an hour after it was issued.
Whisky Creek Fire Containment Still 24%
Containment of the 2,075-acre Whisky Creek Fire in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness Area remains at 24%. Crews on Monday monitored the west side of the fire in the Herman Creek area, observing no fire activity. Hand crews continued work on the Tomlike Mountain ridge control line, while on the southeast edges, firefighters monitored and patrolled containment lines. Repair and rehabilitation efforts focused on the eastern edge of the fire. Some heavy equipment will begin to demobilize from the fire in coming days, as most mastication efforts along roadways are complete. At the southern end of the Mt. Hood National Forest, containment of the 702-acre Sandstone Fire is up to 58%.
Command Of Williams Mine Fire To Be Transferred
Command of the Williams Mine Fire will be transferred Tuesday evening from Complex Incident Management Northwest Team 13 to a Type 3 incident management organization predominantly assembled from the local area. Officials say the transition will not impact fire operations. Containment of the 11,778-acre fire northwest of Trout Lake in the Mt. Adams Wilderness moved up to 31%. Crews continue patrolling and monitoring the southern and eastern portions of the fire to ensure containment lines are secure, while the mechanical prepping of Forest Road 23 continues to the west. It is estimated that operation will go on for at least another two weeks.