PORTLAND — Unusual late-summer rains are helping crews battle wildfires in southwestern Oregon and the Columbia Gorge — and even driving some from soaked tents to bed down inside.
The Oregon Department of Forestry said Monday some firefighters at the Government Flats complex southwest of The Dalles reported leaky tents and wet bedding on Sunday.
They were given dry sleeping bags and moved indoors to sleep in the gym at Wahtonka High School.
The fire has destroyed four homes. It’s burning on about 19 square miles, or 12,000 acres.
The state agency says the cool, wet weather has helped the crews in the gorge, and the fires are considered 45 percent contained.
