Brush Fire comes close to Creek View Condos on Mill Creek in heart of TD; prompts evacuations

The Dalles, Ore., July 3, 2026 — A brush fire in the Mill Creek drainage behind Mama Jane's Pancake House prompted temporary evacuations Thursday evening before firefighters quickly contained the blaze.

The fire broke out shortly after 9 p.m. in the trees and brush along the south bank of Mill Creek, off West Sixth Street southeast of Mama Jane's Pancake House. The area was once home to a trailer park built during construction of The Dalles Dam in the 1950s.

Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue responded to the fire with assistance from the U.S. Forest Service. Mutual aid was requested during the initial response as crews worked to stop the fire's spread.

Smoke observed coming from the Mill Creek Fire on July 2nd around 9 p.m. in The Dalles. Photo Courtesy Columbia Gorge Fire

Law enforcement officers assisted with traffic control and the initial Level 2 and Level 3 evacuations issued for residents near the fire.

By approximately 9:40 p.m., firefighters had the blaze under control and transitioned into mop-up operations.

"MCFR is on scene of a brush fire near Mama Jane's in the drainage," Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue said in a social media update. "At this time the fire is in mop-up and crews will be engaged for the next few hours."

The fire burned about 100 yards of grass and was in the trees lining Mill Creek.

Despite close proximity to nearby Creek View Condos, no injuries or damaged structures had been reported Thursday night. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Mill Creek corridor has become a recurring location for vegetation fires in recent years. In August 2022, firefighters battled a fast-moving grass fire behind The Dalles Aquatic Center along Mill Creek after flames spread through dry vegetation near the creek bottom.

Thursday night's brush fire near the former trailer park behind Mama Jane's Pancake House marks the latest reminder that the heavily vegetated Mill Creek drainage remains especially vulnerable during the summer fire season.