The Memaloose #2 Fire was reported late Friday evening burning on the south side of
Interstate 84 near the eastbound Memaloose Rest Area. Initial attack resources worked
through the night as the wind pushed the fire east in light fuels. Unified command has been
established between Oregon Department of Forestry, Mosier Fire and Rescue and the U.S.
Forest Service Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Firefighters from the US Forest
Service, Mosier Fire and Rescue, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Hood River Structural Task
Force, and the Oregon Department of Forestry are continuing work to establish containment
lines this morning.
US Highway 30 is closed from the Memaloose Overlook (MP 61.5) to the Rowena I-84
interchange (MP 66.5). The fire is threatening homes in the Rowena Dell community and
evacuations are in place for the area. Information for current evacuation levels can be found
on the Wasco County Sheriff’s facebook page: www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff/.
The fire is currently estimated at 175 acres. Today firefighters are working to stop the fire
spread to the east using dozers to establish firelines and aircraft to cool hot spots and any fire
spotting outside the fire perimeter. Two FireBoss air tankers (water scooping airplanes) from
the Washington Department of Natural Resources are available to support the firefighters on
the ground as needed. Additional resources will be arriving on scene today to relieve personnel
who have been on the fireline overnight and to bolster suppression efforts.
Governor Kate Brown invoked the Conflagration Act at 8:55 a.m. Saturday morning, providing
additional resources to protect lives and homes in the area. Oregon State Fire Marshal’s
(OSFM) Blue Incident Management Team (IC Walker) will be in-briefing today at 12:00 p.m.
Following the in-brief OSFM unified command will be established between ODF, OSFM, and
USFS Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. In addition to the overhead personnel from
the Incident Management Team four structural task forces will be arriving today and two
additional task forces will be arriving for night shift.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This page is designed to provide for timely and official fire information about wildland fires across the Pacific Northwest. The information is posted by the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in partnership with Public Information Officers that work for federal, state and local fire agencies and is drawn from official sources within the wildland fire community.
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