Eagle Creek Fire: Still Active On Eastside; I-84 Reopens Completely

CASCADE LOCKS, OR — Oregon Department of Transportation officials on Saturday reopened the eastbound lanes on Interstate-84, bringing joy to myriad Oregon and Southwest Washington commuters. Oregon State Fire Marshal officials, however, remind those commuters to pay strict attention to posted speed limits, exit ramp closures, and other safety hazards along the 50-mile stretch from Troutdale to Hood River — where I-84 had been closed for nearly three weeks — as the area is still an active fire zone.

Also, many — if not most — United State Forest Service recreational areas in the area remain closed to public use; Multnomah and Hood River county sheriff's officials ask visitors and residents to obey all posted closures for not only their safety but also for the safety of the first responders who'd likely need to rescue them from getting trapped in an area where they shouldn't have been in the first place.

As of Monday, the Eagle Creek Fire remains 46 percent contained with more than 48,600 acres burned since Sept. 2 — when, according to Oregon State Police, a 15-year-old boy from Vancouver, Washington, dropped a firecracker into the Eagle Creek Canyon, stunning witnesses and ultimately setting ablaze an oft-visited and greatly coveted section of the Columbia River Gorge.

Evacuations across the burn zone required thousands of residents to evacuate their homes for nearly three weeks as crews from across the state, including local fire jurisdictions, joined the fray to battle back the fire that threatened multiple cities along I-84, the Bull Run watershed, and the popular Multnomah Falls lodge and waterfall. In the fire's first week, burning embers crossed the Columbia River into Washington and ignited another smaller fire on Archer Mountain. That fire has since been contained 100 percent, fire officials said.

Rain over the past week was a boon for fire crews, which decreased from nearly 1,000 personnel to just more than 150 people by Monday. Though the weather did provide relief, it also caused additional problems for ground crews who had to watch out for rain-caused landslides and mudslides, falling rocks, and falling trees. The area formerly covered in vegetation now bare meant fire crews could not just keep track of fire behavior; they also had to monitor ground conditions as well. This has proved particularly problematic for the eastern side of the fire, near Shellrock Mountain.

Shellrock Mountain is steep, rocky terrain that's proved challenging for firefighters to navigate safely whilst battling the Eagle Creek Fire, officials said. On Sunday, crews were able to setup a sprinkler system to battle portions of live fire still active in the area. That work will reportedly continue.

Hood River County Sheriff's officials on Saturday asked residents and visitors to the Columbia River Gorge and Eagle Creek Fire area to keep in mind that smoke will likely be visible as overcast clears and sunny, warmer weather conditions return to the area briefly this week. Just because there's smoke, officials said, doesn't mean there's new fire; so check the current fire maps before calling in any suspected new forest fires.

Photo Courtesy: Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, InciWeb