Oregon wildfire destroys homes, forces evacuations as it grows to 3,800 acres
Located about 75 miles east of Portland along the Columbia River, the Rowena Fire has burned more than 3,800 acres and remains 0% contained.
Thousands have been evacuated from around the community of Rowena, where the wildfire began Wednesday it was being driven by 30-mph winds that helped the fire to quickly spread.
Authorities have asked people to stay away from the evacuation zone designated as a Level 3, where officials warned of falling trees, slides and other hazardous conditions.
No fatalities have been reported, according to the Wasco County Sheriff's Office.
They noted that nearly 50 structures have been destroyed, as of Friday afternoon local time.
The weather Friday may help lower the intensity of the fire, with the forecast calling for cooler temperatures in the 70s and higher levels of humidity in the mid-30s, according to officials. However, they warned that the winds will remain steady and create smoky conditions.
"It's very early in fire season for us to be dealing with a large, fast-moving fire like the Rowena Fire, and deploying one of our incident management teams," Craig Pettinger, ODF Team 2 Deputy IC said. "It doesn't bode well for what's ahead of us knowing we already expect an active fire season. We have a lot of fire season ahead of us, and long seasons take a toll on our firefighters and communities across the state."
When the fire began Wednesday, it was fueled by record-low moisture, along with gusty winds, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal. The winds had also been shifting, leading officials to expand the evacuation zones early Thursday morning.
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"This is only the beginning of what could be a difficult year," said Travis Medema, chief deputy with the OSFM. "This fire is occurring under unseasonable conditions and record-low fuel moistures – combined with unstable wind patterns, all of which signal a long and potentially dangerous fire season across the state."
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 34% of Oregon is experiencing abnormally dry conditions with nearly 18% of the state in a Level 1 drought.Original article source: Oregon wildfire destroys homes, forces evacuations as it grows to 3,800 acres
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