MOSIER, Ore. — The Wasco County Sheriff's Office downgraded Level 3 (Go!) evacuations to Level 2 (Get Set) on Sunday morning for the Memaloose #2 Fire that broke out in the Columbia River Gorge on Friday night.
Any updates for evacuation levels can be found on the Wasco County Sheriff's Facebook page.
The fire is called the Memaloose #2 Fire due to it being the second fire this season in close proximity to Memaloose State Park, east of Mosier. The fire is burning south of Interstate 84 and north of Highway 30. It has burned about 175 acres and is 35 percent contained. Control lines are 100 percent completed.
Photos: Fire near Memaloose State Park
Photos: Fire near Memaloose State Park
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office reduced Level 3 (Go!) evacuations to Level 2 (Get Set) on Sunday. The evacuation levels affect the intersection of Highway 30 and Marsh Cutoff Road east to the bottom of the Rowena Loops. That includes both sides of Highway 30, Rowena Dell, and Rowena Overlook to Canyon Way.
Marsh Cutoff and Dell Road are open to local traffic only.
Highway 30 remains closed from the Memaloose Overlook (MP 61.5) to the Rowena I-84 interchange (MP 66.5) for firefighter and public safety. Travelers along Interstate 84 should remain cautious of fire vehicles entering and exiting the area.
Gov. Kate Brown on Saturday invoked the emergency conflagration act, meaning the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office can mobilize resources to battle the blaze.
The cause of the fire is not known.
The fire is burning west of where several other wildfires have burned more than 100,000 acres this summer in Wasco County.
