Saturday August 11, 2018
11:00 a.m.
Contact: Christie Shaw, Oregon Department of Forestry
541-263-0661
The Memaloose #2 Fire was reported late Friday evening burning on the south side of Interstate 84 near the eastbound Memaloose Rest Area. Initial attack resources worked through the night as the wind pushed the fire east in light fuels. Unified command has been established between Oregon Department of Forestry, Mosier Fire and Rescue and the U.S. Forest Service Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Firefighters from the US Forest Service, Mosier Fire and Rescue, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Hood River Structural Task Force, and the Oregon Department of Forestry are continuing work to establish containment lines this morning.
US Highway 30 is closed from the Memaloose Overlook (MP 61.5) to the Rowena I-84 interchange (MP 66.5). The fire is threatening homes in the Rowena Dell community and evacuations are in place for the area. Information for current evacuation levels can be found on the Wasco County Sheriff’s facebook page: www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff/.
The fire is currently estimated at 175 acres. Today firefighters are working to stop the fire spread to the east using dozers to establish firelines and aircraft to cool hot spots and any fire spotting outside the fire perimeter. Two FireBoss air tankers (water scooping airplanes) from the Washington Department of Natural Resources are available to support the firefighters on the ground as needed. Additional resources will be arriving on scene today to relieve personnel who have been on the fireline overnight and to bolster suppression efforts.
Governor Kate Brown invoked the Conflagration Act at 8:55 a.m. Saturday morning, providing additional resources to protect lives and homes in the area. Oregon State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) Blue Incident Management Team (IC Walker) will be in-briefing today at 12:00 p.m. Following the in-brief OSFM unified command will be established between ODF, OSFM, and USFS Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. In addition to the overhead personnel from the Incident Management Team four structural task forces will be arriving today and two additional task forces will be arriving for night shift.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
