The Big Hollow fire is currently burning east and north of the Trapper Creek Wilderness on the Mt. Adams Ranger District and is estimated to be about 5,000 to 10,000 acres in size and growing.  Gifford Pinchot National Forest crews are assessing the situation and assisting with evacuations and clearing road corridors of downed trees resulting from recent heavy winds.  A Type II fire team has been ordered and will take over management of the fire once they arrive on scene and have been briefed.   Visitors are asked to avoid the area during this time.  The cause of the fire is unknown.  The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is developing closure orders for the southwestern portions of the forest to ensure public safety near the Big Hollow incident.  This closure area will include developed campgrounds, dispersed camping, day use areas, wilderness areas, and all forest roads and trails within the area.  If you have plans to be in this area of the forest, please consider making alternate arrangements.  Additionally, effective Wednesday the Pinchot National Forest will be moving to Industrial Fire Protection Level IV.    Public use restrictions are also currently being developed for the Gifford Pinchot and will be put into place soon.  

Crews responded to two fires in the Mosier and Rowena areas Tuesday afternoon.  One fire was near 8467 Highway 30 in the Rowena area, by the railroad tracks along Interstate 84.  The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says it went into mop up status, with the Oregon Department of Forestry, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, and Mosier Fire crews responding.  The size of the fire was about one acre on both sides of the railroad track.  A second fire was on State Road, and at one point prompted evacuation notices that were lifted fairly quickly.  It’s was 2.5 acres in size, and the Sheriff’s Office says it was contained and is in patrol status.  Mosier Fire, MCFR, ODF, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and the Wildland Immediate Need Task Force of Hood River County responded.

The Oregon Department of Forestry has shut down all industrial activities on ODF lands in Hood River and Wasco Counties without a valid waiver from the state forester.  ODF is making the move to reduce the risk of potential fires ignited from equipment of other industrial activities.  The Dalles Unit’s acting forester Brian Reel said fire activity across the state is at historic levels and fire resources are stretched to capacity.  A regulated-use closure remains in effect for activities such as mowing of dry grass, chainsaw use, and open fire restrictions.  The closure also requires those traveling on forest roads to carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher or one gallon of water.  Visit www.odfcentraloregon.com for full details.

The Mt. Hood National Forest is temporarily closing to public access due to extreme fire danger.  That includes developed campgrounds, dispersed camping, day use areas, wilderness areas, and all forest roads and trails.  The closure went into effect Tuesday evening, and will be re-evaluated daily as conditions change.  People in the process of evacuating the forest are exempt from the order.  While the forest has been under fire restrictions, forest officials say they still see unattended and abandoned campfires across the forest, heightening the risk to firefighters, the public, and wildlife.  The Willamette National Forest also has a forest closure in effect.

All Oregon state parks are under a fire ban, including campgrounds, day-use areas and beaches.  The ban includes wood, charcoal briquettes, candles, tiki torches and other devices that emit flames or embers.  Propane stoves and other cooking devices that have a shutoff valve are also prohibited.  The fire ban will be lifted as conditions improve and in coordination with state and local fire officials.  Many state parks remain open, but are experiencing poor air quality and frequent power outages.  Power failure could happen at any park without notice.  

The Bureau of Land Management’s Northwest Oregon District has temporarily closed all recreation sites and certain roads until September 15.  All BLM developed campgrounds in northwestern Oregon are closed to the public, and dispersed camping is prohibited.  Members of the public may not enter closed recreation areas.  This temporary closure covers the northwestern part of the state, west of the Cascade Range and north from Cottage Grove to the Columbia River.

The White River Fire reached 70% containment on Tuesday.  Fire incident commander Noel Livingston says the fire is essentially in patrol and mop-up status at this point, and didn’t experience growth during strong east winds on Monday.  Resource advisors will work with crews and heavy equipment operators to repair areas damaged by suppression activities and remove unneeded equipment and trash.   The fire has not grown in size for several days, remaining at 17,507 acres.   Logs and stumps continue to smolder and unburned islands are likely to burn inside the fire perimeter.  East winds will lead to Red Flag Warning conditions into Wednesday.  The Type 1 management team that has been in command of the White River Fire has now been placed in command of the Lionshead Fire to the south on the Warm Springs Reservation.  

There was one new COVID-19 case in Wasco County listed in Tuesday’s report from the Oregon Health Authority.  Wasco County is now at 223 cases recorded during the pandemic, with 186 listed as recovered using a 30-day standard.  Hood River County remains at 238 positive COVID-19 cases for the pandemic, with 234 listed as out of isolation.  Sherman County is still at 18 total cases, with 16 recovered.  All four of Gilliam County’s COVID-19 cases have recovered.  Statewide, the Oregon Health Authority reported 169 new confirmed or presumed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, moving the statewide total to 28,355.  Four deaths were reported, putting that number at 486.  In Washington, Skamania County reported one new COVID-19 case in its latest numbers issued Tuesday morning, and it is the only active case in that county.  Klickitat County has not updated its statistics since the weekend, and it reported just two active cases.  The Washington Department of Health’s last update was on Monday, putting the total number of COVID-19 cases for the pandemic at 77,545, with 1,953 deaths.

The Hood River County Commission and City Councilors for the most part agreed they would like to see COVID-19 testing in the County increase, but how to do it remains a question.  The two panels held a joint meeting on Tuesday.  Hood River County actually has the third highest rate of testing in the state behind Jefferson and Sherman counties.  Resources and people to conduct the testing along with availability of testing agents.  Commission Chair Mike Oates says the testing issue is not new, and he would like to come up with a plan to start promoting this.  The discussion occurred as Hood River County has dropped to four active COVID-19 cases.  County Health Director Trish Elliott added they are currently monitoring nine other close contacts.

Fire officials reported another good day on the lines of the White River Fire on Thursday.  Incident Commander Trainee Randy Johnson said they were able to have a lot of success, with crews able to get into the bottom of the White River Canyon on the southwest corner of the fire, and other areas are beginning mop-up and suppression repair.  On Friday structure protection crews will continue to mop up and patrol in the Pine Grove area, while in the southwest section of the fire, firefighters will scout for and develop containment line in steep and complex terrain near the White River.  With temperatures in the 90s and low relative humidity, unburned islands in the fire interior are very dry and can be ignited by nearby smoldering fuels or blowing embers.  Light winds will keep fire active into the early evening.  The containment level for the 17,329 acre White River Fire has been moved up slightly to 41%.