Eagle Creek Fire: Burned Acreage Reduced; Personnel Focus On Repair

CASCADE LOCKS, OR — Infrared mapping of the Eagle Creek Fire on Sunday gave fire officials a more accurate account of the conflagration's size in the Columbia River Gorge, allowing them to decrease the burn zone to 48,573 acres. Officials previously estimated the damage at more than 48,660 acres. The fire remains 46 percent contained.

Warmer, drier weather in the early part of this week won't necessarily increase fire behavior, officials said, though clear skies will help make smoke more visible for Portland metro and gorge residents. Despite the smoke, however, fire behavior remains minimal, officials said, noting the fire is not expected to spread at this time. While wind gusts up to 35 mph Wednesday and Thursday could challenge firefighting efforts, a weekend forecast of rain beginning Friday could provide more relief — if the rain breaks through the dense canopy.

Officials said fire crews on Tuesday will continue working on suppression repair, chipping, decking trees, and mop-up where they're able to do so safely. On the Eastside, where the fire has been most active on Shellrock Mountain, steep, rocky terrain has made firefighting difficult. And last weekend's precipitation only created more problems in areas where vegetation no longer exists.

WATCH: Eagle Creek Fire officials posted a video of Southern Oregon fire crews performing repair work to show what will soon begin in the Columbia River Gorge.

Across the burn scar fire crews have had to work around the potential for landslides and mudslides, as well as falling trees and rocks. Oregon Department of Transportation officials over the past week were able to reopen lanes in both directions on Interstate-84 after crews worked to fell thousands of hazard trees in danger of falling onto the highway.

While traffic is now flowing cautiously through the burn area, several — if not most — exits along the 50-mile span between Troutdale and Hood River remain closed.

Fire officials on Tuesday said personnel briefings in Hood River Monday focused on how crews will implement stabilization treatments across the Eagle Creek burn scar. Treatments, according to the USDA Forest Service website, includes an action plan to repair the burn area and prevent any further degradation.

The burn area, for context, was revealed in its totality via OPB's Facebook page Monday:

Top Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images