Both Wasco and Hood River counties had a new COVID-19 case listed in Thursday’s report from the Oregon Health Authority.  Wasco County is now at 224 cases recorded during the pandemic, with 189 listed as recovered using a 30-day standard.  Hood River County remains at 239 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 187 new confirmed or presumed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, moving the statewide total to 28,654.  Three deaths were reported, putting that number at 497.  In Washington, Skamania County remained Thursday at one active COVID-19 case, and is at 60 for the pandemic.  Klickitat County was up by four cases to 202 for the pandemic, with six active cases.  The Washington Department of Health’s last update was on Wednesday. putting the total number of COVID-19 cases for the pandemic at 78,009, with 1,978 deaths.

A White Salmon woman was injured Thursday morning in a single-vehicle accident on Washington Highway 143 east of Bingen.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the car driven by 59-year-old Joy Bartlett was westbound on Highway 14 at milepost 69 at around 8:15 a.m. Thursday.  The vehicle went off the shoulder, struck a rock wall, rolled, and came to rest on its top in the eastbound lane.  The WSP says Bartlett was transported to Skyline Hospital in White Salmon with unspecified injuries.  

The City of Hood River has selected Mark Janek as its new public works director.  Janek has served as director of public works and engineering in Wheeling, Illinois, a city with a population of 40,000, since 2015, and was was director of community development and engineering there for six years prior to that.  He also has 13 years of private sector experience in numerous areas of the Midwest.  He has been a land developer and land-use consultant to private companies, municipalities and land owners.  Janek has a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design from Syracuse University, and a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning and Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley says he and Ron Wyden will visit fire camps in Oregon on Friday.  Merkley said at a press conference today Oregon’s Congressional delegation has requested an emergency declaration from the Trump administration, and are making multiple phone calls to make that happen.  Merkley is hopeful the declaration will be issued by Friday.  He added he will continue pushing for funding for his Wildfire Resiliency Act to increase efforts for thinning of forestlands in the West to make them more fire resistant.

The Big Hollow fire, burning northeast of the Trapper Creek Wilderness on the Mt. Adams Ranger District, is now estimated to be about 12,050 acres in size and growing.  The U.S. Forest Service says Gifford Pinchot National Forest crews are assessing the situation and assisting with evacuations and clearing downed trees from roads.  A Type II fire team has been ordered to take over management of the fire.  The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is temporarily closing areas to public access.  This includes developed campgrounds, dispersed camping, day use areas, wilderness areas, and most forest roads and trails within the closure area.  The forest has also enacted a forest-wide ban on campfires.  This ban applies to all campfires, including those inside and outside of developed recreation areas and campgrounds.

A Mt. Hood National Forest spokesperson says firefighters on Wednesday focused their efforts on life and safety concerns as the 120,000-acre Riverside Fire moved an additional four miles down the Clackamas River corridor towards the communities of Estacada and Springwater.   Numerous crews worked overnight to continue point protection efforts on homes and infrastructure in the area and along Highway 211.    As of early Thursday morning, firefighters estimated the fire remained approximately two air miles from the community of Estacada, where a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation order remains in place.  Fire managers today are assessing locations to stop forward growth of the fire, looking to take advantage of forecasted lighter winds during the afternoon to conduct air operations.  But they caution changing wind directions throughout the day could spur additional fire growth in multiple directions.

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.