Oregon fire season already ‘feels like July’ as firefighters battle growing Rowena blaze

The

rapidly growing fire

near

Rowena

in the Columbia River Gorge spread from

50 acres

to 3,500 acres in about 24 hours, and officials said Thursday that’s because conditions in Oregon are more like what the state would find in late summer.

“It feels like July,” said Travis Medema, chief deputy state fire marshal. “We’re about a month ahead of schedule.”

Others agreed.

“We knew we were headed into a

tough fire season

,” said Kyle Williams, deputy director with Oregon Department of Forestry. “We really hoped that we would have a little bit more time before we kicked it off in earnest.”

The

fire

started in Wasco County on Wednesday and closed Interstate 84 between Hood River and The Dalles for hours. Winds up to 30 mph fueled its aggressive spread, officials said.

It’s not yet clear how many homes or structures have been destroyed. Officials at one point on Thursday put the number at 20 and then said an unknown number of buildings had burned.

No fatalities have been reported, officials said at a 1 p.m. press conference. Anyone who hasn’t heard from a loved one may call 541-506-2724 to leave a message inquiring about the person.

The Red Cross has opened a shelter at The Dalles Middle School at 1100 East 12th St., and people can take livestock and horses to the Wasco County Fairgrounds at 81849 Fairgrounds Road, the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office said.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

— The Oregonian/OregonLive, newsroom@oregonian.com

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