Firefighters are working towards increasing the containment of the Nena Springs Fire in the Warm Springs Reservation, but until moisture arrives over the fire, officials say containment will remain 75%.  Its final footprint is expected to remain 68,135 acres.  Surface fire is smoldering in duff and dead and down logs.  A handcrew is directing a light helicopter over hotspots to provide target drops of water.  The 240 firefighters assigned to the fire are beginning to hit their maximum days of work and will return home to rest before taking new assignments.  As they leave, a smaller force of firefighters will remain at Warm Springs to complete the work left yet to do.  A transfer of command is occurring today to a smaller management organization.

The Wasco, Klickitat, and Sherman county fairs are all underway and will continue through Sunday.  At the Wasco County Fair in Tygh Valley Thursday is Free Family Day today, with Kids’ Day events at 2 p.m., and Ranch Sorting at 5 p.m.  Friday brings the start of the rodeo, with performances are at 7:30 both Friday and Saturday evenings.  Friday at the Wasco County Fair also features Farmers Fun Day events, with sign-ups at 11 a.m. and the events beginning at noon.  In Goldendale, the opening evening of the Klickitat County Fair brings the annual barbecue featuring products made in Klickitat County.  Cost is $8 per plate, and it starts at 5 p.m.  There will also Western Games today beginning at 4 p.m., and a free concert by James Wesley at 8 p.m.  Friday will see all-around showmanship competitions start at 1 p.m., team penning and branding at 3 p.m., and a free concert by Briana Renea at 8 p.m.  In Moro, Thursday at the Sherman County Fair includes a full day of 4-H/FFA judging of various animals, the Down on the Farm Chore Course at 7 p.m., and Freddie Prez once again on the main stage.  Friday highlights include 4-H and FFA livestock judging at 4:30 p.m., and cattle sorting at 7 p.m.

Columbia Gorge Community College will host information sessions next week to describe program options, steps to enroll this fall, and how to reduce the cost of college.  CGCC Director of Student Outreach Steph Hoppe says the “Discover CGCC” sessions will give people a chance to learn more about the school.  The “Discover CGCC” events will take place Wednesday at the Hood River campus and next Thursday at the Building 2 Lecture Hall on The Dalles.  Each day there will be a morning session from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and an evening session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  To RSVP or for more information call 541-506-6019.

From all reports, there were no major issues in south Wasco County related to crowds gathering in the path of totality for Monday’s solar eclipse.  Sheriff Lane Magill says overall crowd management went well thanks in part to the preparation officials did in the weeks leading up to the eclipse.  Magill says they are asking the Oregon Department of Transportation for vehicle count research, but he estimated there were between two-to-three-thousand cars per hour coming into the south county on Monday morning.  He adds Wasco County emergency officials will hold a meeting to breakdown how the day went to identify potential gaps they may have had to help prepare for other events and emergencies.

The Indian Creek Fire in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness west of Hood River has been burning more actively as the vegetation and other fuels get drier, partly from the influence of a dry air mass passing through the area.  The fire has spread, crossing a small drainage on the northwest side of the fire, and is now 113 acres in size.  A reconnaissance flight earlier this week showed the fire was consuming surface fuels and hadn’t been burning into the crowns of the trees.  Air drops on the fire have continued, with four “Super Scooper” airplanes arriving Tuesday to deal with the increased activity, and a “heavy” helicopter to increase the water-dropping capabilities has been ordered.  A Cascade Type 2 Initial Attack crew is helping monitor the Indian Creek Fire at Indian Mountain, and they also identified a location on Chinidere Mountain for another camera to help monitor the north end of Indian Creek Fire remotely.  Public use restrictions are still in effect for campfires, smoking, internal combustion engines, and off-highway motorized vehicles on the Mt. Hood National Forest.

The Wasco County Fair will begin its big four day run Thursday at the fairgrounds in Tygh Valley.  Tomorrow is Free Family Day, sponsored by The Dalles Disposal.  The fair’s Zach Harvey says this year’s fair features the return of a large-scale carnival to the event.  Thursday events will also include the Senior Picnic in the Park at 11:30, Kids’ Day events at 2 p.m., and Ranch Sorting at 5 p.m.

The Klickitat County Fair is starting Thursday in Goldendale.  Opening evening as per usual will bring the annual barbecue featuring products made in Klickitat County, starting at 5 p.m.  Barbecue beef and pork is on the menu, along with barbecued corn on the cob, baked potato, baby carrots, and more, including dessert.  Cost is $8 per plate.  There will also Western Games tomorrow beginning at 4 p.m., and a free concert by James Wesley at 8 p.m.  The fair will run through Sunday.

The Sherman County Fair is underway in Moro.  Wednesday’s events include Freddie Prez on the main stage at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., barbecue burgers and hot dogs by the fair board at 5 p.m., the 4-H style show at 5:30, and Horse Games in the main arena at 7:15.  Thursday’s docket includes a full day of 4-H/FFA judging of various animals, the Down on the Farm Chore Course at 7 p.m., and Freddie Prez once again on the main stage.  Activities will continue through Sunday.

A 15-year-old girl missing since Monday morning in the Lahar Viewpoint area on the southeast side of Mt. St. Helens has been found.  Skamania County Sheriff Dave Brown says Katrina Osborne was found Tuesday morning by the Volcano Rescue Team near the Smith Creek Trailhead.  She is in good condition.  The girl had become separated from her family and friends Monday morning.  She is from the Longview-Kelso area.

The City of Hood River has hired Dustin Nilsen to be its new Planning Director.  Nilsen has been Senior Planner in the Wasco County Planning Department for the past two years.  He has seventeen years of professional planning experience, including 10 years with the Village of Antioch, Illinois in the Chicago area, seven of which were as Director of Community Development.  He also spent over three years as Senior Planner in Aurora, Colorado.  Nilsen starts his new position in mid-September, which allows time to work with current Planning Director Cindy Walbridge prior to her retirement on October 2.