Winds push Larch Creek Fire near Tygh Valley; Fire jumps Badger Creek Road
A water tender makes its way down Badger Creek Road near the community of Shadybrook. Photo from the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., July 12, 8 a.m.. — Strong winds continue to confound firefighting efforts on the Larch Creek Fire that is burning near Tygh Valley, 30 miles south of The Dalles.
Crews are battling the 13,000-plus acre fire in steep and rocky terrain and there may be some relief today as the National Weather Service is predicting winds to drop to 5 to 9 mph with a high of 91 degrees.
Afternoon winds on Thursday pushed the fire south as the fire spread into canyons and draws next to Highway 197 on Wednesday, July 10, and then moved on Thursday toward nearby Highway 216 - the road that leads from 197 to White River Falls on the way to the Deschutes River.
A few cedar trees appear to have survived the burn along Highway 197 near Tygh Valley. Photo from Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.
Highway 216 was closed from Hwy 197 to Milepost 4 on Thursday, according to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office on July 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Just west of there, the fire jumped Badger Creek Road, putting the communities of Wamic and Pine Hollow in danger.
Google Map showing the general area of the fire.
Fire map of the same area. Click on the image to enlarge it.
“Resources continued a ground attack and water drops along the active edge of the fire on Thursday,” according to an Oregon Department of Forestry press release. “Crews worked through the day to secure the fire's north side, building a dozer line and engaging in direct attack where possible. Additional resources have been ordered and will be arriving in the coming days.”
Oregon Department of Forestry IMT Team 2 transitioned at 6 p.m. with the COFMS Type 3 team led by Cason McCain, and is now in unified command with the Oregon State Fire Marshal Green Team. They are headquartered at the Dufur School.
Last night, crews were expected to continue to build and reinforce the fire line along the perimeter. And structure protection continued around Pine Hollow and Shadybrook subdivisions this evening.
988 Structures were in Level 3 GO NOW evacuations, 48 in Level 2 GET SET, and 35 in Level 1 GET READY.
Lower temperatures and higher relative humidities were anticipated to offer favorable conditions for night crews.
From Wasco County Sheriff’s Office: July 11, 6 p.m. - CCCNews will update this information as it becomes available.
Level 3 - GO NOW evacuation for Wamic & Pine Hollow. Wy'East Middle School (3000 Wy'East Rd) in Hood River is the designated shelter for people. The Hood River Fairgrounds (3020 Wy'East Rd) is still a shelter for livestock.
Leave without delay. It is unsafe to stay and threatens the safety of you, your family, and emergency responders. Your life could be in great danger. Emergency services personnel may not be available to help you if you choose to stay.
LEVEL 2 GET SET- from Campbell Ln on the West to the Deschutes River on the east, from Rock Creek Dam Rd and Wamic Market Rd in the north to the White River to the south.
LEVEL 1 GET READY - In Sportsman's Park/Rock Creek Reservoir.
To keep up to date on evacuation levels, stay informed here:
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