CANCELLED

Update from Hood River County Emergency Operations Center:

4pm update:

Hood River County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) has been fully activated since last night with 6-12 staff members throughout the night and all day today, working to support Hood River Sheriff’s Office, first response teams, evacuation shelters and all of the response partners.

We plan all day EOC activation starting at 7am on Labor Day.

Cross Channel Swim has been cancelled:

NO CHANGE in evacuations in Cascade Locks since this morning however tomorrow 30mph hour winds are expected and the current size is 3,000 acres. The Eagle Creek Fire is one of the top national incidents and a national IMT (Incident Management Team) has been assigned to this fire tonight.

EAGLE CREEK FIRE EVACUATIONS
News Release from Hood River Co. Sheriff’s Office
Posted on FlashAlert: September 3rd, 2017 7:25 AM

Cascade Locks, Ore –

Due to overnight fire activity, the city of Cascade Locks is under evacuation orders. The south-west portion of the city is under Level Three evacuation, affecting approximately 130 homes. A Level Three evacuation means that residents need to leave immediately. Those residents have been notified either in person by law enforcement or through Everbridge notifications. The rest of the city is under Level Two and Level One evacuation orders.

A Red Cross Shelter has been set up at the Skamania County Fairgrounds, immediately across the Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington at Rock Creek Center, 710 Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, WA.

Specific information can be obtained by calling 541-387-6941, and that information will be updated periodically throughout the day. Those with emergencies should call 911.

Great news —-  UPDATE: EAGLE CREEK FIRE SEARCH AND RESCUE
News Release from Hood River Co. Sheriff’s Office
Posted on FlashAlert: September 3rd, 2017 2:27 PM

Cascade Locks, Ore.-

The final group of 153 hikers in the Eagle Creek area has been recovered from the Wahtum Lake area and is en route to the reunification site via bus. There are no hikers who are unaccounted for at this time. One hiker was transported non-critically via ambulance for issues related to exhaustion and dehydration.

NEWS RELEASE: HOOD RIVER COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT
News Release from Hood River Co. Sheriff’s Office
Posted on FlashAlert: September 3rd, 2017 1:48 PM

Sunday, September 3, 2017

News Release: Hood River County Public Health Department

Wildfires continue throughout the state and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and public health officials throughout Oregon are urging residents to take precautions from wildfire smoke.

When air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, those groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. When air quality is hazardous, everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors and those with lung and heart disease should remain indoors.

Air conditions can change rapidly depending on weather and wildfire growth. Residents can view current air quality conditions at http://www.deq.state.or.us/aqi. The index also offers guidance on what precautions various groups should take depending on air quality. Specific smoke forecasts for areas near large wildfires are available at the Oregon Smoke Blog:
http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/

Oregon’s monitoring network does not capture air quality conditions in all communities such as here in Hood River. For this reason, it is important for residents to gauge air quality conditions and take appropriate actions to protect themselves. One helpful tool is the 5-3-1 visibility index. http://www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/Wildfires-Visibility.aspx

People can take the following precautions:

• Be aware of smoke concentrations in your area and avoid the places with highest concentrations. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity in smoky conditions
  If you have heart disease, asthma or other respiratory ailments, or are over 65, you have a higher risk of illness from wildfire smoke
• Small children and pregnant women are at increased risk. People in any of these groups might consider leaving the area until air quality improves
• People suffering from asthma or other respiratory problems should follow their breathing management plans or contact their healthcare providers
• No matter how far you can see or what the air quality monitors are reporting, if someone feels that they are having health effects from the wildfire smoke exposure, they should take extra care to stay inside or get to an area with better air quality. They should also see their doctor or health professional as needed. Remember, local smoke levels can rise and fall rapidly, depending on weather factors including wind direction.

Where to get more info on the Eagle Creek Fire near Cascade Locks:

Hood River Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for updates

US Forest Service IMT (Incident Management Team) managing the incident:Inci Web.nwcg.gov/incident/5584  (Eagle Creek Fire)

Hood River Sheriff’s Office sends out Flash Alerts news release service feeding press release updates to media members and those that opt in to this service – Hood River News and Bi Coastal media have been running updates on their outlets.

Please spread the word that it’s vital to opt into Hood River County Citizen Alerts. We used this system today to notify citizens about evacuation – also in specific door to door evacuation.  We cannot contact you via cell phone or email unless you opt in- this system can only access landlines for now.

Click here to download Press Release

Experience the swim through the eyes of a swimmer:

Drone footage (2015):