Rowena Fire closes I-84 eastbound; over 700 homes on level 3 'Go Now' evacuation orders
(This story has been updated to include new information)
Eastbound I-84 closed June 11 between mileposts 64 and 82 due to the Rowena Fire, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Wasco County Sheriff's Office.
The closure is between Mosier and The Dalles. I-84 and Highway 30 were also closed from Rowena to milepost 82. ODOT advised drivers to find an alternative route.
ODOT spokesperson Kacey Davey said there are fires burning on both the Oregon and Washington state sides of the Columbia River Gorge. Davey urged travelers to not drive to the highway closure spots and to check TripCheck.com for updates and closure information.
"Wildfires are unpredictable and we have no timeline for when I-84 or U.S. 30 may open," Davey said.
The sheriff's office said in a Facebook post 733 homes were under level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders, 1,195 homes were under level 2 "Be Set" and 157 homes were under level 1 "Be Ready."
A map for areas under evacuation can be found at: bit.ly/43J8x1C.
The fire was at least 500 acres as of 5:45 p.m. June 11, according to WatchDuty. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.
Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the fire, allowing the Oregon state fire marshal to mobilize resources.
The state fire marshal is mobilizing structural firefighters and an incident management team for the fire, according to a news release. Three task forces were set to respond June 11 and three more are set to arrive the morning of June 12.
According to the release, the Oregon State Fire Marshal Green Team will work with the Central Oregon Fire Management Service Type 3 team.
Areas under level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders included: Rowena Ferry Road east to River Road; Seven Mile Hill Road to Mountain View Drive, south to Chenowith Creek Road and Browns Creek Road east to West Seventh Street.
Areas under level 2 "Be Ready" included: Evacuation Snipes, west to Chenoweth Loop Road, Chenowith Creek Road to Browns Creek Road.
Areas under level 1 "Be Set" included: Port area of The Dalles.
A temporary shelter is available at The Dalles Middle School, 1100 E 12th St., The Dalles, OR., 97058.
The Wasco County Fairgrounds is open for livestock and horses and is located at 81849 Fairgrounds Road, Tygh Valley, OR., 97063.
'This early season conflagration should come as a reminder to Oregonians to be ready for wildfire,' State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a news release. 'The predictions for this summer are extremely concerning. I am asking everyone to take that extra minute to mindful of the conditions and remember it takes a single spark to ignite a disaster.'
Jonathan Williams is the news editor of the Statesman Journal. Reach him at jcwilliams1@salem.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon wildfires: Rowena Fire closes part of I-84, evacuations ordered
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