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Smoldering hotspots continue to impose hazards to public and firefighter safety

HOOD RIVER, Ore. (August 29, 2024) — The area closure associated with the Microwave Tower fire remains in effect on all National Forest System (NFS) lands within the fire perimeter on the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Although the fire perimeter is contained, active fire and suppression activities continue. The area closure is expected to remain in place until immediate hazards are mitigated.

The objective of the closure is to proactively protect public and firefighter safety as the Scenic Area continues to extinguish smoldering hot spots within the contained boundary, especially a smoldering historic abandoned disposal site that has been issuing noxious gases and smoke as the contents continue to consume. The disposal site was once used as a place for orchard waste, automobiles and other debris prior to the land becoming Federal lands. 

“We are actively working with our partners to safely put out the remaining smoldering areas within the Microwave Tower fire area” said Nicolas Granum, Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. “We understand this is a unique and popular recreation area and will continue to assess our closure order to get the area open as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, we ask that the public continue to honor the closure.”

A detailed map and description of the Microwave Tower closure area is available at the end of this News Release, on the Scenic Area website and at our office. Closure barriers and signs have been posted on the ground.

Despite cooler temperatures and recent rainfall, fire officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating is VERY HIGH and public use restrictions involving campfires, smoking, and other activities are in effect. We anticipate seeing increased fire activity as temperatures warm and winds continue in the weeks ahead.

For more information regarding Restrictions, please contact:

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area:

Information: (541) 308-1700

www.facebook.com/crgnsa  

Twitter: @CRGNSA

For public and firefighter safety, closures are in place for the Historic Columbia River Highway State trail and for roads in Hood River County. Details of these closures are available on their websites at: https://www.hoodrivercounty.gov/closures and https://stateparks.oregon.gov/

Additional information about the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/crgnsa