THE DALLES, Ore. — All evacuations have been dropped for parts of The Dalles after a fire, the River Road Fire, threatened to grow, the Wasco County Sheriff's Office reported Saturday evening.
The fire was first reported by the sheriff's office around 3:30 p.m. Friday near the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility in The Dalles, known as NORCOR.
Witnesses told KGW that the fire started in brush behind Oregon Trail Mini Storage, burning several storage units.
About two hours later, the sheriff's office reported that Level 3 evacuation orders had been issued from 2649 River Road, all of Bargeway Road and West 1st Street, from the intersection of West 1st Street and River Road to West 1st Street and Bargeway Road. Those levels were reduced to Level 2 around 9:30 p.m.
"We will re-evaluate evacuations in the morning and post an update then," the agency said.
Here's what evacuation levels mean
Level 1 Notice - Be Ready: Residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area and monitor local media outlets for information. Residents with special needs should take note and begin making arrangements to evacuate. Evacuations at this time are voluntary.
Level 2 Notice - Be Set: This level indicates there is significant danger to your area, and residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or outside of the affected area, or if choosing to remain, to be ready at a moment's notice. Emergency services cannot guarantee that they will be able to notify you if conditions rapidly deteriorate.
Level 3 Notice - Go Now: Danger to your area is current or imminent, and you should leave immediately. Listen to local media and watch for emergency personnel who may be coming by to give further instructions regarding the evacuation.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is made available.