More than 250 homes, commercial property and other small structures have been threatened by the fire that started about 11 a.m. Sunday and quickly grew due to dry windy conditions in the Gorge. The cause of the fire is under investigation but officials said earlier it was believed to be human caused.
A Level 3 Go Now evacuation order remained in place on Fourth of July for areas around the fire, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office. Evacuation alerts for Klickitat County have been canceled.
State Highway 14 was still closed in both directions from Milepost 56 near Cook-Underwood Road to Milepost 65 near Hood River Bridge Road, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Travelers were advised to use Interstate 84 in Oregon as an alternate route.
Fire crews spent Monday working to clear vegetation and protect homes and structures in the area around the fire, while watching for burning debris rolling downhill, to keep the fire from spreading, according to the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team, which handled management of the fire until 8 p.m. Monday. The fire is now being managed by Northwest Incident Management Team 12. Helicopters and air tankers were deployed as well, helping to cool the fire and establish an effective fire line.
Resources on the incident include 31 engines, five crews, three helicopters and four single-engine air tankers, as well as other heavy equipment. Total personnel working on the incident as of Tuesday morning was 189.
Additional resources were expected Tuesday, including hand crews, heavy equipment and five strike teams of fire engines, according to Washington DNR.
Helicopters and fixed-wing air tankers were used as needed Tuesday to hold the fire in check and assist ground crews. Firefighters on the Tunnel Five Fire will also be available to assist with initial attack on new fire starts in the area.
About 1,000 residents have been impacted by the fire and evacuation orders, Heather Appelhof, a Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team spokesperson, told The Oregonian on Monday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs, saying the fire threatened enough destruction to be considered a major disaster. This is the first such funding approved to fight Washington wildfires this year.
There will be a virtual community meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday on the Southwest Washington Fire Information Facebook page.
