MOSIER, Ore. — Resources from the Oregon State Fire Marshal are being demobilized as crews have slowed down and improved containment on the Mosier Creek Fire.
The human-caused fire broke out on Wednesday, Aug. 12, between Hood River and The Dalles. The fire quickly grew to 500 acres in a matter of hours and prompted evacuations. Crews from the state arrived the next day. As of Monday, the fire has burned 985 acres and is 65% contained.
Local firefighting operations will continue in the “mop-up” phase.
At the height of the fire, more than 660 structures were threatened. A total of 36 structures were destroyed.
“Though the Mosier Creek Fire saw no loss of life or serious injuries, for the families who lost their homes and property, this was a devastating event,” said Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. “Despite these terrible losses, the local warning system to safely evacuate residents worked by avoiding any loss of life.”
On Monday, Gov. Kate Brown gave an update on wildfires burning across the state. She was joined by the chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry, Doug Graf, who said crews have been relatively lucky so far this fire season, but there's potential over the next few days for more fires and harder conditions for firefighters.
"The last 48 hours of lightning conditions across the state have ignited well over 100 fires," Graf said. "Initial attack resources have been aggressive and successful on most of those fires."
But "the next 48 hours of lightning potential and high winds will continue to threaten and push the existing containment lines and put more fire on the landscape," Graf said.