Wasco County says it working closely with the Department of Environmental Quality to develop a comprehensive debris removal plan for the Rowena Fire area. County officials say the plan is crucial because many wildfire-affected properties may contain potentially toxic chemicals that require specialized handling and disposal. The County is advising that if you return to the wildfire-affected area, they recommend you wear Tyvek coveralls and N95 masks, available for pickup from North Central Public Health District on 419 East 7th in The Dalles and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue on 1400 West 8th in The Dalles during normal business hours. If you cannot wear proper protective clothing, wear long sleeves, pants, and sturdy shoes, and immediately dispose of all clothing worn while reentering your fire-damaged home. Children should not be involved in cleanup activities. The County hopes to have the debris disposal plan in place within two to three weeks.
Skyline Health To Receive $3 Million For Surgical Services Expansion
Skyline Health in White Salmon is slated to receive $3 million as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill that passed the House Appropriations Committee. Washington Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse’s office says the funding will help Skyline expand Surgical Services by renovating existing facility space and increasing the capacity of Skyline Health to provide new essential services to meet the current community need and prepare for future growth. Newhouse’s office goes on to say a modern surgical center at Skyline will allow the hospital to recruit specialists and medical staff who will be critical for the hospital’s continued growth of services.
CGCC Awards Diplomas & Certificates At Commencement
Columbia Gorge Community College awarded a total of 131 diplomas and certificates to students who completed their studies during the 2024-25 academic year during its recent commencement ceremony. Among the graduates, 52 were recognized as CGCC Foundation Scholars—students who received scholarship support from the CGCC Foundation, underscoring the college’s commitment to making higher education accessible and affordable for students throughout the Columbia Gorge region. CGCC honored 37 GED graduates, 28 students received their Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degrees and plan to go on to complete their Bachelor degrees at 4-year colleges. CGCC’s Nursing Program celebrated 26 graduates. As part of the ceremony, Christina Knapp was honored as 2025’s Outstanding GED Graduate, Claudia Huila as 2025 Outstanding Graduate, Maria Ortiz the Leonardo da Vinci Distinguished Transfer Student Award, and graduate Lexus Williams and Writing instructor tina ontiveros both received the 2025 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Awards. CGCC recognized Electro-Mechanical Technology instructor Kalie Brunton with the Reine Thomas Faculty Excellence Award, and Equitable Funding Support Navigator Emilie Sanchez-Lopez with the Staff Excellence Award.
Rowena Fire At 96% Containment
Containment for the Rowena Fire was put at 96% on Sunday. Fire officials say crews on Sunday addressed the few remaining areas of suppression repair while the majority began to demobilize and travel home. In the coming week, the Type 3 team will transition out and hand the fire back to local resources. A plan of action has been formed to meet the remaining containment needs for local resources to patrol and monitor. Interior smoke may be present for several weeks if hidden hotspots emerge under heat or wind. Size of the fire has been estimated at 3,600 acres, while the cause remains under investigation. Cost to battle the fire was placed at over $9.23 million.
Mt. Adams And Cascade To Be Subject Of Intersection Evaluation
An Intersection Control Evaluation is going to be added to work on planning a roundabout at the intersection of Mt. Adams Drive and Cascade Avenue on the west side of Hood River. It’s being done at the behest of the Oregon Department of Transportation, which has declared that location a “failed intersection.” City Manager Abigail Elder says this is important to address to provide the opportunity for housing development nearby. The evaluation process will be a collaborative process with the state traffic engineer. It will determine the most appropriate form of traffic control at the intersection given the benefits of each alternative and the right-of-way, environmental, cost, and other constraints.
Dallesport Water Gets $185,000 Grant From Landfill Gas Improvement Fund
The Dallesport Water District will be receiving a $185,000 grant from Klickitat PUD’s Landfill Gas Improvement Fund. Klickitat County Commissioner Todd Andrews says it will be used to provide the system larger ATEC capacity to filter out iron and manganese from Dallesport water. The water district needs to do the work to meet a state requirement. Klickitat County’s public works department will provide assistance in procuring the equipment and installation.
Wasco County Commission Approves Emergency Declaration
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.
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.