Containment of the 20,026 acre South Valley Fire has been moved up to 60 percent this morning.  Fire officials say as the fire cooled in the southeast portion of the fire, crews were reassigned to work through the night on mopping up hot spots and burning stumps, especially around structures in the north end of the fire.  Firefighters are focused on mopping up 75 to 150 feet inward from the perimeter of the fire.  Much of the line is cool, with the heat concentrated north of the Hix and Friend Road areas.  Firefighters are seeing “dust or ash devils,” which occur when solar heating hits the ground and the unstable atmosphere creates a whirlwind, leading to concern these can pick up hot burning embers and carry it over the fire line where a new fire could start outside the perimeter.  The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office lowered all evacuation advisories to Level 1 on Sunday evening.  Over the weekend the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office stated that at least three primary structures and 15 outbuildings have been lost in the fire.    

Containment level for the Milepost 90 Fire in Klickitat County was raised to 85 percent this morning, as a Type 3 incident management team turns over command to local authorities today.  A Type 4 Incident Commander with three engines will patrol the fire today and Saturday looking for hot spots that may still be smoldering in the interior of the fire.  The fire burned 14,500 acres.  Klickitat County Emergency Management Thursday evening announced all evacuation advisories for the Milepost 90 fire have been lifted.  Washington Highway 14 between Dallesport and Maryhill reopened Thursday at a reduced speed limit of 45 miles per hour.  

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley Thursday asked the U.S. Agriculture Department to designate Sherman, Wasco and Jefferson counties as agricultural disaster areas in the wake of recent wildfires.  The Oregon senators’ request came in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of the same request by Oregon Govenor Kate Brown.  Wyden and Merkley noted the fully tally of losses from the fires that have burned more than 100,000 acres has yet to be compiled.  They say a disaster designation will allow farmers and local businesses to apply for emergency loans, insurance relief, and other assistance.  Wyden and Merkley recently joined with Brown to ask Perdue to make some of the $12 billion promised American farmers in trade war relief also available to Oregon farmers devastated by recent wildfires. They also have requested that Perdue provide emergency assistance for Oregon farmers whose crops have been decimated by this summer’s wildland fires.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Thursday afternoon helped a man who was unable to descend from a perch above Dog Creek Falls.  Dispatchers received a call from a hiking companion that 35-year-old Wade Nelson of Portland had climbed up to the top of the falls located near Washington Highway 14 milepost 56, but only the caller had made it down.  A search & rescue Deputy responded to the area along with rope teams from Skamania County EMS and manpower from Fire District #1.  Due to the location and the technical ropes required, the Clark County Technical Rescue Team was dispatched as well.  Nelson was helped down and reunited with his hiking partner two-and-a-half hours later.  No injuries were reported.  Skamania County Undersheriff Pat Bond noted there is no designated trail system to climb Dog Creek Falls.

New rockslides near Oneonta and Horsetail falls have set back plans to reopen the six miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway closed since the Eagle Creek Fire.  The highway between Bridal Veil and Ainsworth State Park has remained closed since last September, and the Oregon Department Of Transportation had hoped to reopen that section of road this fall.  The latest slides came from high up on the hillside, spilling across hiking trails and the Historic Columbia River Highway.  Experts are assessing what further safety measures may be needed before the road can reopen.  ODOT, the U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department have been working to reopen sections of the Gorge closed since the Eagle Creek Fire.  ODOT has set no new timeline for reopening the closed road.

Wasco County Commissioners approved a resolution today calling for flags to be flown at half-staff on Saturday in honor of John Ruby.  Ruby died during the recent Substation Fire while trying to help protect a neighbor’s property.  All flags at County buildings will be flown at half-staff on Saturday.  The Commission’s resolution called for all partner agencies and businesses in the County join them in this gesture of gratitude and respect.  Commissioner Scott Hege called it a fitting tribute, which will take place on the day services are held for Ruby in Dufur.

There has been only one filing so far for mayoral and City Council positions on the November ballot in Hood River with one month to go before the filing deadline.  Mayor Paul Blackburn has filed for re-election.  Along with the mayoral chair, there are three Council positions on the ballot.  Hood River’s council election places all candidates on the same ballot, and the top three vote getters win seats on the panel.  The filing deadline is August 28.  Candidate information packets are available at Hood River City Hall and online on the City website.

Farmers and ranchers impacted by recent wildfires in Wasco and Sherman counties may apply for financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service to perform post-fire conservation treatments on their agricultural lands.  The financial assistance will help landowners offset the cost to perform critical post-fire conservation practices that will combat soil erosion, restore vegetative ground cover, and control the spread of invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass and medusahead, which are prone to increase after a fire.  Conservation activities include planting range grasses and cover crops to protect damaged soil; spraying herbicides for weed control; prescribed grazing; obstruction removal, and more.  The funding is available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.  Landowners may apply at the USDA service centers in The Dalles on 2325 River Road or Moro at 302 Scott Avenue by August 10.  Applicants may also contact Acting District Conservationist Clinton Whitten at 541-289-8559 x112.  Farmers and ranchers in areas burned by the Substation, Boxcar, and Jackknife fires are eligible to apply.

The 53rd annual Trout Lake Fair is this coming weekend.  The Fair starts Friday evening with a community potluck and social at Elk Meadows RV Park.  A full list of events is planned for Saturday, including a parade at 11 a.m. and a number of activities at Camp Jonah, and it all wraps up with an ice cream social at the Trout Lake Community Center on Sunday at 1 p.m.  For complete schedule information go to troutlakefair.org.

Containment of the Long Hollow Fire is up to 75 percent.  The fire did not grow on Monday while firefighters continued to improve fire perimeter lines, and air operations provided support to the fire.  A helicopter was used to drop buckets of water on a flare up within the fire perimeter.  The size of the fire was revised downward to 33,451 acres thanks to more refined mapping on the northern edge of the fire.  There is a Red Flag Warning for hot temperatures and high winds in effect until 10 p.m. Wednesday.   Personnel are slowly being released as fire activity decreases, and a transition of management of the fire to local resources will take place Wednesday morning.  A local 20 person hand crew currently working on the fire will remain with additional resources available if needed.  The Deschutes River is open for recreational activities, and the Level 1 evacuation advisory for segment 3 from Buckhollow to Mack’s Canyon has been lifted.  When moving through recently burned areas, be aware that hillsides can become unstable due to loss of vegetation.  Burn scar areas are susceptible to rapid soil and debris movement when precipitation occurs.