CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. – Thursday morning, crews in Cascade Locks and Hood River monitored the Eagle Creek Fire conditions, worried the wind would push the flames their direction.
The area by the Bridge of the Gods was still filled with thick smoke.
Wednesday, U.S. Forest Service crews set controlled back-burns in the woods around Cascade Locks, an effort to prevent the fire from spreading should the wind kick up again.
Farther to the east, the Hood River Valley could be the next target for the fire. The sheriff hopes not, but said detailed evacuation plans are in place, just in case.
“We have been doing some significant planning for any sort of evacuations that we would need to do in the Hood River Valley,” said Hood River County Sheriff Matt English. “We've got over 8,000 residences in that valley, so that many structures, residential structures, that's a massive undertaking.”
As of Thursday morning, Hood River was not under any evacuation order, except for public use lands.
The only areas to be under evacuation notice at the time continued to be the Cascade Locks area and the public use lands (national, state, and county forests) on the west side of the county.
On the Washington side, Archer Mountain, east of Washougal, continues to burn. It has reached 112 acres by Thursday morning.
A public information gathering for the Archer Mountain fire will be held at the Skamania Elementary School (122 Butler Loop Road) Thursday 9/7/17 at 7 p.m.
There will also be a community meeting at Bowe Theater in Hood River Valley High School (1220 Indian Creek Rd) on Thursday at 6 p.m. A meeting is being planned for Friday or Saturday in the Troutdale area.
Photos: Eagle Creek Fire