Oregon wildfire prompts evacuations and closes interstate in Columbia River Gorge
by Naharnet Newsdesk 12 June 2025, 16:51
A wildfire in Oregon prompted officials to issue evacuation orders for hundreds of homes and to close nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of an interstate in the Columbia River Gorge on Wednesday.
Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the state's Emergency Conflagration Act for the Rowena Fire, allowing the state fire marshal agency to mobilize resources, it said in a statement.
The agency said it was mobilizing an incident management team and six structural task forces, with three responding Wednesday night and the other three arriving early Thursday.
"This early season conflagration should come as a reminder to Oregonians to be ready for wildfire," State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said.
The Oregon Department of Transportation said Interstate 84 was closed between Hood River and The Dalles. Hood River, a popular tourist destination about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Portland, is home to some 8,000 people, and more than 15,000 people live in The Dalles farther east.
Residents of more than 700 homes were ordered to evacuate in an area stretching northwest of The Dalles along I-84 and farther inland, according to the Wasco County Sheriff's Office. Residents of more than 1,300 homes were told to prepare to leave, including in part of the town's northern end.
A middle school in The Dalles was set up as a temporary shelter, while the county fairgrounds opened as a shelter for livestock and horses, the sheriff's office said.
Photos shared by the transportation department showed flames burning alongside and in the median of I-84 as wind gusts fanned the smoke. A water helicopter and a plane dropping fire retardant helped fight the fire, which broke out Wednesday.
Department spokesperson David House said in an email that the interstate will be closed indefinitely "due not only to the wildfires but also due to the extreme danger of driving in smoke."
Washington state's transportation department said a separate brush fire resulted in the closure of 8 miles (13 kilometers) of State Route 14, which also runs along the Columbia River.
Authorities urged people traveling in the area to use alternate routes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
4 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Death toll in South Africa floods rises to 57
by Naharnet Newsdesk 12 June 2025, 16:50 The death toll in floods in one of South Africa's poorest provinces rose to 57 on Thursday as a top official said rescue attempts had been "paralyzed" by a lack of resources. Rescue teams are still working through debris and floodwater to find missing people after heavy rain caused a river to burst its banks in the predawn hours of Tuesday. Floods hit the nearby town of Mthatha and surrounding areas, sweeping away victims along with parts of their houses and cars. Oscar Mabuyane, the premier of Eastern Cape province, said the floods struck while many people were asleep. The water was 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) high when it flowed out of a river and into nearby communities, he added. "It's a terrible situation," Mabuyane told state TV broadcaster SABC. "It happened at the wrong time." Mabuyane said local authorities struggled to launch an effective rescue effort as the disaster happened in what he described as a region lacking resources. He said the largely rural Eastern Cape province in southeastern South Africa, which is home to around 7.2 million people, only has one rescue helicopter. It came to Mthatha from the city of Gqeberha, more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) away. He also said the region does not have any specialist rescue divers or K-9 dog units, meaning they had to be called in from elsewhere to help with the search. "When things like this happen, we are always found wanting," said Mabuyane. "We are paralyzed." People were stranded on rooftops and in trees Rescue teams on Wednesday brought bodies out of the water in blue body bags. Witnesses said many people had taken refuge on the tops of buildings or in trees and some were heard calling for help for hours. Provincial government officials previously said they believed people were still missing but did not give an exact number. There was no immediate update on Thursday whether authorities believed all those who were not accounted for had been found. The death toll rose to 57, according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, who led a national government delegation to the province to visit the scene. "This is a real disaster and a catastrophe when we have so many people dying," Hlabisa said. He added that part of the problem was that many people in the area were living on a flood plain close to the river. The missing had included four high school students who were swept away when their bus was caught up in the floods on its way to school early Tuesday morning. Authorities did not immediately say if those four children were among the latest bodies retrieved. Six students who were on the bus had already been confirmed dead, along with the driver and another adult. Three other students were rescued after clinging onto trees and calling out for help, according to the provincial government. The floods hit the province after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of eastern and southern South Africa. The floods centered on Mthatha and its surrounding district, which is around 430 kilometers (267 miles) south of the east coast city of Durban. Forecasters had warned about the damaging weather last week. Officials said at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals in the Eastern Cape were damaged, while hundreds of families were left homeless after their houses were submerged or washed away. Critical infrastructure including roads and bridges was also badly damaged, Mabuyane said. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that he would travel to the Eastern Cape on Friday "to see exactly how our people are suffering there and see how we can console the families." Ramaphosa announced earlier in the week that he had activated the National Disaster Management Center to help local authorities in the Eastern Cape. Some opposition political parties criticized the government, with the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party saying the tragedy was a result of "government neglect" in parts of the Eastern Cape.
Nahar Net
7 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Earthquakes damage centuries-old monasteries in Greece
by Naharnet Newsdesk 13 June 2025, 15:30 Centuries-old monasteries have been damaged by an ongoing series of earthquakes in a secluded monastic community in northern Greece, authorities said Friday. A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck the Mount Athos peninsula on June 7, followed by a series of both undersea and land-based tremors that continued through Friday. The quakes caused "severe cracks" in the dome of the Monastery of Xenophon, which was built in the late 10th century, and damaged religious frescoes at that site and several others, the Culture Ministry said. Mount Athos is one of the most important religious sites for Orthodox Christians, and is often referred to as the Holy Mountain. It is a semi-autonomous monastic republic and is home to 20 Orthodox monasteries. The self-governing community still observes strict traditions under Greek sovereignty, including a ban on all women entering the territory. "We are fully aware of the immense archaeological, historical, and spiritual significance of Mount Athos, and we are ensuring that all damage is addressed according to scientific and ethical standards," Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said. The restoration work — including structural reinforcement and the repair of artwork — will be expanded and accelerated, Mendoni added. A more detailed assessment of the damage is expected next week, the Culture Ministry said.
Nahar Net
a day ago
- Nahar Net
Oregon wildfire prompts evacuations and closes interstate in Columbia River Gorge
by Naharnet Newsdesk 12 June 2025, 16:51 A wildfire in Oregon prompted officials to issue evacuation orders for hundreds of homes and to close nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of an interstate in the Columbia River Gorge on Wednesday. Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the state's Emergency Conflagration Act for the Rowena Fire, allowing the state fire marshal agency to mobilize resources, it said in a statement. The agency said it was mobilizing an incident management team and six structural task forces, with three responding Wednesday night and the other three arriving early Thursday. "This early season conflagration should come as a reminder to Oregonians to be ready for wildfire," State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. The Oregon Department of Transportation said Interstate 84 was closed between Hood River and The Dalles. Hood River, a popular tourist destination about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Portland, is home to some 8,000 people, and more than 15,000 people live in The Dalles farther east. Residents of more than 700 homes were ordered to evacuate in an area stretching northwest of The Dalles along I-84 and farther inland, according to the Wasco County Sheriff's Office. Residents of more than 1,300 homes were told to prepare to leave, including in part of the town's northern end. A middle school in The Dalles was set up as a temporary shelter, while the county fairgrounds opened as a shelter for livestock and horses, the sheriff's office said. Photos shared by the transportation department showed flames burning alongside and in the median of I-84 as wind gusts fanned the smoke. A water helicopter and a plane dropping fire retardant helped fight the fire, which broke out Wednesday. Department spokesperson David House said in an email that the interstate will be closed indefinitely "due not only to the wildfires but also due to the extreme danger of driving in smoke." Washington state's transportation department said a separate brush fire resulted in the closure of 8 miles (13 kilometers) of State Route 14, which also runs along the Columbia River. Authorities urged people traveling in the area to use alternate routes.
