Fires burn boathouses, home; community pool evacuated

Five structures were destroyed and one firefighter transported to the local hospital Monday night, Aug. 1, as fire burned at the Port of The Dalles Marina, according to police and fire reports.

Fire Chief Bob Palmer, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, said five structures were completely destroyed, six damaged and 10 or 11 saved by firefighters.  It will be up to the insurance companies to decide if the damaged boathouses can be saved or must be declared a total loss, he added.

The fire was first believed to have started by a BBQ that was left unattended in high winds, according to an Oregon State Police report. Chief Palmer, however, said that fire investigators were unable to determine a specific cause for the blaze.

Oregon State Troopers from The Dalles Area Command assisted Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue and the City of The Dalles police in responding to the fire, which was reported at approximately 7:19 p.m.

Burning embers from the marina ignited multiple fires at the nearby Interstate 84 interchange, exit 85, which resulted in closure of I-84 from exit 87 to 85 westbound, and exit 85 eastbound.

The marina was closed, and Washington State Police officers also shut down US 197 at The Dalles Bridge.

Citizens were advised to avoid the area of the marina, but dispatch logs for The Dalles Police show people at the marina came into conflict with firefighters and law enforcement: “People are standing at the pier and they need them to move,” read one dispatch log. “Civilians have stolen hoses and are not allowing firefighters to use them. (Law enforcement is) going to assist,” read another. And a third log entry read, “Need everyone evacuated. If they do not need to be there with a badge or fire uniform they will be arrested for interfering.” Officers soon after requested help with an arrest, according to the logs.

At 7:41 p.m. Wasco County Sheriff’s office posted to Facebook: “At this time there is an active fire incident at The Dalles Marina. First responders are on scene, and we are being advised that multiple individuals are in the river attempting to swim closer to the activity. Please do NOT approach the incident and maintain a safe distance back from the water to allow crews to do their work. At this time it is imperative that we allow our public safety agencies to operate free of interference or distraction.”

On Wednesday morning, tension between officials and boathouse owners was again reported, with at least one owner threatening to cross fire lines into the burned area.

Agencies assisting MCF&R in fighting the fire, or asked to provide mutual aid, included Dallesport, Wishram, Lyle, White Salmon, Bingen, Hood River, Wamic, Westside Fire, Wy’east, Mosier and Dufur. Firefighters were actively fighting the fire until approximately 11:30 p.m.

This fire was the second significant fire at the marina in as many years. The first was July 4, 2021, and was believed to have been ignited by fireworks.

On Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 3, the Port of The Dalles board of directors met briefly to declare an emergency, thereby making funds immediately available to pay contractors involved in cleanup and hazard mitigation at the marina.

Miller Road (Dodge) Fire

The Miller Road (Dodge) brush fire, which burned in Wasco County south of The Dalles, is up to 95% containment after growing to over 10,800 acres since it was first reported on Tuesday, Aug. 2, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved an emergency grant to help with firefighting costs for the Miller Road Fire.

FEMA Region 10 Deputy Administrator Vince Maykovich determined that the fire “threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster.”

The approval came hours after Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared the fire, currently burning some 13 miles northwest of Maupin in the area of Juniper Flats, an Emergency Conflagration, freeing up state resources to tackle the blaze.

“I have invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act to make more state resources available to the fire crews on the front lines in Wasco County at the Miller Road/Dodge Fire,” Brown said in Tuesday’s announcement. “With many fires actively burning across the state and several weeks of peak fire season ahead of us, I am urging all Oregonians to be prepared and do their part to help prevent wildfires — just one spark can light a fire that will quickly spread. Please continue to follow local and statewide fire prevention regulations and share what you know with others. Every fire we prevent helps us keep our communities and firefighters safe, and our natural resources protected.”

Wasco County Sheriff’s Office issued multiple evacuation orders for the area, including:

Level 3 (GO): From Victor Road and Walters Road North and South side of OR-216 to Highway 197.

Level 2 (Get Set): Tygh Valley, all of Tygh Valley Rd, all of Fred Ashley Rd, all of Davidson Grade Rd, east side of 197, all of Oak Spring Road to OR-216, and for the City of Maupin on both sides of the Deschutes River. However, all evacuation orders have since ended.

The Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal reported five structural task forces and Clackamas County Fire District No. 1’s crew 30 were mobilized to the Miller Road fire. The task forces are from Yamhill, Polk, Lane, Columbia, and Clatsop counties.

“In total, we have 103 firefighters, 20 engines, and five water tenders mobilized to the fire. Our Blue Incident Management Team is also on the ground and took command this morning,” the fire marshal’s office said on August 3.

Mile Post 87 Fire

The Mile Post 87 fire burned in east The Dalles on August 4, at exit 87 on I-84.

Firefighters were on site starting at 10:30 a.m. on the day of the fire. Responding agencies included Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Dufur Fire and Hood River Fire, and Wasco Emergency Management is coordinating with the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Miller Road Fire task force, the Oregon Department of Forestry, Klickitat and others, according to The Dalles City Clerk Izetta Grossman. There is also currently one type-2 helicopter from the Oregon State Fire Marshal, Grossman said.

According to Grossman, school buses and buses from the LINK were staged at The Dalles Marina, in case Flagstone needed to be evacuated. There was also an emergency shelter currently available in Dufur, at the Dufur High School.

The Columbia Rivers Heights subdivision in The Dalles reached a Level 2 (Get Set) evacuation notice, and was the only area under an evacuation notice due to the Mile Post 87 fire. Some businesses in proximity to the fire temporarily closed while they waited for the fire to be put out, including Big Jim’s Drive In.

Additionally, power was out to 660 customers in the area, as Northern Wasco County PUD de-energized power at certain locations to “ensure the safety of firefighters and first responders,” according to a post on the NWC PUD Facebook page. According to an update to that post, power was restored later that day.

The fire has since been reported as being out, and all evacuation notices have been ended and businesses have since reopened.