I-84 Closed East Of Portland As Eagle Creek Fire Threatens Gorge Residents

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All lanes of Interstate 84 remain closed from Troutdale (Exit 17) to 2 miles west of Hood River (MP 62). SR-14 is closed to commercial traffic in both directions, but open to passenger vehicles. Bridge of the Gods is closed.

The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office has increased evacuation levels to the following: Level 3 (Go!) for Larch Mountain and the communities of Latourell, Bridal Veil, Dodson, Warrendale, and East Corbett. Corbett and Springdale are under a Level 2 (Get Set) evacuation level. An evacuation shelter has been established at Mt. Hood Community College, located at 3691 NE 17th Drive, Gresham, OR.

The Hood River County Sheriff upgraded all Level 1 (Get Ready) notices in Cascade Locks to Level 2 (Get Set). This includes all areas north of Wa Na Pa to the Columbia River and on the east end of town north of I-84 to the river, as well as Forest Lane and intersecting roads, running east to Government Cove. Level 3 (Go!) evacuation notice is in place for everything south of I-84 in Cascade Locks. A Red Cross Shelter has been set up at the Skamania County Fairgrounds, immediately across the Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington.









This is a very dynamic situation and evacuation levels can rapidly change. The Hood River County Sheriff (http://www.hoodriversheriff.com/news/breaking-news/) and Multnomah County Sheriff (https://flashalert.net/id/MCSO/107579?alert=1) are the most reliable sources for evacuation updated information.
Remember: Level Three means go now; Level Two means that you should be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice; and Level One means be on alert.


https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5584/


A new fire, the Eagle Creek Fire, was reported Saturday afternoon at approximately 4:00pm in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The fire grew to 3,000 acres overnight. The fire exhibited significant growth on the afternoon of September 4th and current fire size is still estimated at 4,800 acres. The fire will continue to grow through the night of September 4th-5th.
Public safety is the number one priority in the Eagle Creek Fire. The Eagle Creek Fire is human caused but specifics remain under investigation by the Oregon State Police.

Evacuation Information:
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office has issued Level 3 (Go!) evacuations for Larch Mountain and the communities of Dodson and Warrendale. The communities of Latourell and Bridal Veil are in Level 2 (Be Ready) evacuation status.
East Corbett is under a Level 3 (Be Set) evacuation and the rest of Corbett is under Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation.

The Red Cross is opening a shelter in Gresham, OR at Mount Hood Community College (26000 SE Stark Street, Gresham, OR) for all Warrendale and Dodson residents.
The Hood River County Sheriff issued Level 3 (Go) evacuations for everything south of Interstate 84 in Cascade Locks. All prior Level 1 evacuations in Cascade Locks have been increased to Level 2 (Set) by the Hood River County Sheriff. A Red Cross Shelter has been set up at the Skamania County Fairgrounds, immediately across the Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington.

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That does not look good.

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Eagle Creek Fire and Indian Creek Fire Update
Thursday, September 7, 2017 – 10:30 a.m.

Progress on the Eagle Creek Fire continued overnight. There was some fire growth as firefighters worked to secure fire lines near Cascade Locks and Bridal Veil by conducting burnout operations. Westerly winds picked up in the evening causing a few small spot fires around 8:00 p.m. These were within secondary fire lines, but kept firefighters busy making sure they were completely out.
Most divisions of the fire had low-intensity fire activity, and firefighters continued to prepare and protect homes. Around 4:00 a.m., with winds again gusting to 15 miles per hour, a small spot fire ignited near a cell tower.






This spot was also within contingency lines and firefighters worked to keep the fire within those lines.
With the fire now 5% contained, some key transportation functions of the Gorge are beginning to return. Union Pacific trains successfully moved through on Wednesday, and the U.S. Coast Guard is re-opening the Columbia River to night-time passage of commercial boats. Interstate 84 remains closed from Troutdale to Hood River due to debris on the roadway and the potential of rolling rocks and falling trees. The Oregon Department of Transportation estimates that about 2,000 hazard trees must by felled before the road will be safe to re-open.





More burnout operations are planned today to secure fire line near the Bridge of the Gods. This will bring an increase in smoky conditions, but it will help in securing the fire’s edge.
There will be a community meeting at Bowe Theater at the Hood River Valley High School tonight at 6:00 p.m. This meeting will include Spanish-language interpretation. An additional community meeting is being planned for Friday or Saturday in the Troutdale area.

Defending private property, historical structures in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the various State Parks in the area and the Bull Run Watershed continue to be top priorities for firefighters.
A Red Flag warning for potential lightning remains in effect over the fire area through 11:00 p.m. tonight.
For real time and current evacuation information, please contact the Multnomah, Hood River, or Skamania County Sheriff's Offices.