As The Dalles City Council continues to consider how it will pay for key capital improvement projects being identified in the water system master planning process currently underway, use of Strategic Investment Plan payments from Google in its latest data center agreements will play a part. The City has also had on-going talks with Wasco County about how to use those funds, and The Dalles Mayor Rich Mays says the municipal water system has to be part of considerations for the City’s share of the money. The City and County will discuss the Google money again at a joint meeting in September, and the City plans to finish its work on the water system master plan by the end of the year.
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Concerns About Wildfire Map Discussued
Fifteen different counties relayed their concerns to the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon State University with the wildfire hazard map those organizations are developing at an Association of Oregon Counties meeting on Monday. It’s the second attempt at the map the Oregon Legislature asked for. Wasco County Commissioner Steve Kramer was among those who talked, and he said the word that came up throughout every county that commented was “inconsistent.” He used Pine Hollow Reservoir in southern Wasco County as an example, noting it is rated as a moderate risk even though the entire tax lot is made up of water. Kramer says one of the problems in map development remains timelines that are too tight for the work that needs to be done. He notes the state forestry board will meet in September to continue the map discussion.
School Year Starting, Motorists Asked To Watch For Kids
Students will be returning to classrooms over the next few days as a new school year begins, and local officials are reminding motorists to watch out for them as they walk and ride to school. Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn says after a “Safe Routes To Schools” pilot project one year ago at Hood River Middle School, some of it will be in place this school year with additional bike lanes on 18th between Belmont and May streets. Law enforcement officials throughout the region ask motorists to use caution in school zones. Watch for children and don’t forget that speed limits are reduced in school zones.
Squirrel Deemed Cause Of Brushfire
Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews put out a small brushfire on Sunday morning in the eastern portion of The Dalles. According to MCFR, the call came in at around 11 a.m. Crews found a fire at the end of East 20th Street below some orchards. The fire was quickly contained at about one acre. MCFR indicated the cause of the fire was determined to be a squirrel who came in contact with overhead power lines. North Wasco PUD, The Dalles Police Department, and Wasco County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.
Whisky Creek Fire 24% Contained
The 2,075-acre Whisky Creek Fire southeast of Cascade Locks in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness is now at 24% containment. Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 10 Operations Section Chief Cary Neu says crews continue to patrol and monitor along the fire’s contained southern edge. Hand crews have extended control lines north on the Tomlike Mountain ridge as mastication efforts along Forest Road 2810 were completed. Mastication to remove fuel along Capron Springs Road continues. Neu says they are not seeing any fire activity in the Herman Creek drainages.
Williams Creek Fire 29% Contained As Command Transfer Planned
Containment of the 11,776-acre Williams Mine Fire northwest of Trout Lake is now at 29%, as Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 13 prepares to transfer fire command over to a local Type 3 team. Spencer Gregory with Team 13 Field Operations says crews have been working the edge from the south climb into the lava screen. To the northwest, masticating and chipping operations continue to develop fuel breaks. Officials say in the coming days, some of the closures and restrictions around the fire will be reduced and some rescinded. The Washington Department of Natural Resources lifted their closures around the fire, while the Gifford Pinchot National Forest still has a closure area, it has been reduced in size. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Tract D Recreation Area is currently closed.
Municipal Election Filing Deadline At 5 p.m. Tuesday
Time is running out for those wishing to run for City Council seats in The Dalles and Hood River to file to do so. The deadline is at 5 p.m. Tuesday. To file, go to City Hall in either city, with information available at thedalles.org and cityofhoodriver.gov. In The Dalles, City Council positions 2, 4, and 5 will be on the ballot. In Hood River, the Mayor’s position and three City Council seats will be voted on in November.
Evacuation Advisories Around Trout Lake Rescinded As Fire Calms
The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office Friday rescinded the remaining evacuation advisories in the Trout Lake area as a result of the Williams Mine Fire. That as the cooler, wetter weather of recent days calmed fire activity. John Campbell with Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 13 Field Operations says lines have been established on the south side of the fire and are holding, so resources have shifted to the fire’s western border. The interior of the fire shows little to no heat on infrared mapping, but there are still some scattered isolated sources of heat pockets that currently have little spread potential. The fire is listed as 21% contained, with size at 11,764 acres.
Rain Helps Work On Whisky Creek Fire, But Will Not Extinguish It
Officials say a half-inch of rain fell on the Whisky Creek Fire southeast of Cascade Locks overnight, which is helping containment efforts. But Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 10 Operations Section Chief Cary Neu points out that even with that amount of precipitation, these rains will not put out the fire, thanks in part to the heavy tree canopy. Containment of the fire remains at 24%, with the acreage at 2,067. Crews on Thursday successfully constructed over half a mile of new fireline near Tomlike Mountain, and are now focusing on reinforcing existing containment lines.
One Man Killed, One Seriously Injured In Highway 197 Accident
One man died and another was seriously injured in a two-vehicle accident Wednesday evening on Highway 197 in Wasco County. According to the Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation indicates a pickup truck driven by 77-year-old Randall Donn Marshall of Wamic was traveling south on Highway 197 near milepost 9 when it left its travel lane for an unknown reason and struck another pickup head-on. The OSP says the driver of that truck, 45-year-old Joshua Merle Thompson of Tygh Valley, was declared deceased at the scene. Marshall was transported by LifeFlight to a hospital for treatment of what the OSP described as serious injuries. Another passenger in Marshall’s pickup was taken by ambulance to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation into the accident is ongoing.