Firefighters on Tuesday evening were able to stop the forward progression of a fire southwest of Dufur without losing any structures. The Oregon Department of Forestry says the Winslow Road Fire was estimated at about 950 acres in size. The fire burned a combination of dry fuels, ranging from timber and brush to recently harvested wheatland, and was wind driven by 20 to 30 mile per hour sustained winds gusting to 45 miles per hour, which the ODF says made it fairly difficult to get a line around the fire initially. ODF’s fire bosses along with scoopers and a large air tanker from the Camp Creek Fire helped to assist ground operations in stopping forward progression of the fire. Resources stayed on the fire overnight, and today crews will focus on mopping up the fire to ensure that all hot spots are extinguished. Given the light fuels, the fire will be in patrol status for a couple of days. Crews from ODF, the Mt. Hood National Forest, Tygh Valley, Dufur, Petersburg, Wamic, Dallesport, a task force consisting of units from Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue, Hood River, and Mosier, and local landowers all took part in the firefighting effort.
Cottonwood Canyon Fire Burns 4,000 Acres
A fire reported 17 miles southeast of Wasco adjacent to Highway 206 in the John Day River drainage burned 4,000 acres before the Bureau of Land Management declared it in mop-up. The fire was first reported near Highway 206 milepost 15 in Sherman County. The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office says it was about one mile south of Cottonwood Canyon State Park, on both sides of the John Day River, and grew rapidly to the east. It burned on BLM, state, and private lands. Firefighters on the ground were supported by four single-engine air tankers and two large air tankers.
Westside Urban Renewal District Gets Formal Approval
The Hood River City Council voted to formally authorize creation of the Westside Urban Renewal District. The district has been long discussed, and the approval allows tax increment financing to begin to be accrued when taxes are collected this November. Mayor Paul Blackburn says that will allow the district to begin to implement projects as opportunities become available. City Manager Abigail Elder says they will be working with their urban renewal consultant, Elaine Howard, on a five-year implementation plan.
Public Bathroom To Be Topic For The Dalles Council
When The Dalles City Council returns to its chambers September 11 after taking the month of August off, one of the topics of discussion will be whether to proceed with placing a 24-hour bathroom facility somewhere in the city. Mayor Rich Mays says they would be looking at a heavy-duty but easy to maintain facility. The two main issues to consider are the cost of somewhere around $185,000, and the location, with the city-owned parking lot on 3rd Street among the suggestion. Other location suggestions have included near The Annex on Second Street operated by Mid-Columbia Community Action.
HR Council Approves Parking Limits
The Hood River City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to prohibit vehicles from being parked on City streets for more than one week, and require them to be moved at least two blocks after that point. It’s to address issues in neighborhoods where vehicles are parked for long periods of time without being moved at all. Hood River Police Chief Neal Holste said officers needed the ordinance in order to be able to initiate conversations with people about moving the vehicles. While some on the Council were concerned about some of the details of the ordinance, Councilor Mark Zanmiller said it fills a hole in their laws. The ordinance will be read for a second time for final passage at the Council’s September 11 meeting. City staff will report on impacts of the ordinance after it has been in effect for 90 days.
Camp Creek Fire Reports Only Modest Growth
Crews on the Camp Creek Fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest near the Bull Run Watershed reported only modest growth to the south and east on Monday, away from the watershed. Firefighters continued to improve Forest Roads 12 and 14 to serve as primary containment lines and observed some backing and flanking fire spread despite the misty, cool conditions. Fire behavior analysts expect to see limited spread today with persistent burning due to how dry the large fuels are. Fire behavior may be moderated by the cool and moist conditions, but heavy tree canopy will likely prevent rain from wetting the understory, allowing fuels like logs and timber litter to smolder and creep due to long-term seasonal dryness. Size of the fire remains listed at 1,607 acres, with no containment figure.
Fire Damages Building In Downtown Hood River
Fire damaged a building on 3rd and Cascade in downtown Hood River Tuesday morning. The fire in the first floor of the building at 15 3rd Street was reported around 7:50 a.m. Dave Smith of the Hood River Fire Department says crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming out of the building, and it appears to have started in a back room but was contained to the first floor and did not extend to the second floor or the basement. He said a business on the first floor is heavily damaged, but structurally the fire did not get into much of the floor system or ceiling. No one was injured in the fire. Smith says an investigator from the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office is being brought in to determine the cause of the fire. Crews from Hood River, Westside, Wy’east, Cascade Locks, Mosier, and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue responded to the fire.
Higher Humidity & Lower Temps Help Camp Creek Fire Effort
Higher humidity and lower temperatures are slowing down the Camp Creek Fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest near the Bull Run Watershed. Great Basin Team 1 Operations Section Chief Matt Call says the moisture with a 30 percent chance of rain won’t put out the fire, but it does help them address their main priority, which is to protect the watershed, using Forest Service roads 12 and 14 as breaks. Call says an infrared imaging flight overnight put the size of the fire at 1,607 acres, with a small amount of growth taking place Sunday. There is no containment at this time. There are 231 personnel assigned to the fire, and Call says they have more engines, equipment, and felling teams on order.
Bike Lane Demonstration Project Around Hood River Middle School
With school starting this week, the City of Hood River has rolled out a demonstration project around Hood River Middle School in an effort to make it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. City Manager Abigail Elder says they have some dedicated two-way bike lanes primarily on 17th and 18th Streets. The demonstration project will be in place until November 1, and the City will be collecting data and taking public input on how it works. Elder adds 17th and May is now an all-way stop, eliminating the turn east on May without stopping.
The Dalles To Change Yellow Light Schedule
The use of flashing yellow signal lights late at night and on weekends at intersections in downtown The Dalles will change beginning Friday night. Starting at 10 p.m. Friday night, traffic signals will flash yellow between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. seven nights a week. Under the current schedule, the traffic signals downtown currently flash yellow from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday thru Saturday, and all-day Sunday. City officials say the purpose of this change is to increase safety. The municipal Traffic Safety Commission has received several concerns for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists crossing 2nd and 3rd Streets at the signalized intersections in the downtown area. The change has been approved for a trial period to allow for public input. Feedback to the The Dalles Public Works Department is encouraged.