a day ago
Hundreds Evacuated as Wildfire Grows in Oregon
Jordan Gale for The New York Times
The Rowena fire ignited Wednesday in Eastern Oregon and quickly climbed the wind-swept hillsides of the Columbia River Gorge near the town of Rowena. It had burned 3,831 acres by Friday morning.
Jordan Gale for The New York Times
'It all happened really fast,' said Jeanette Chace, a Rowena resident who evacuated to a school nearby. 'We're kind of used to it out there, but this is the worst one we've ever had.'
Jordan Gale for The New York Times
The Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal confirmed that a number of houses have burned. Officials are still checking to confirm how many.
Cody Rogers could hear the fire approaching as he cleared a fire line on his property on the outskirts of Rowena. 'If I would not have been here at that exact time, we would have lost our home,' he said.
Jordan Gale for The New York Times
The fire was officially uncontained on Friday, but Gert Zoutendijk, a spokesman for the state fire marshal's office, said firefighters had built lines around the fire that can be considered containment lines once they have held for 24 hours.
Jordan Gale for The New York Times
Some 825 households remained evacuated on Friday.
Jordan Gale for The New York Times
