WASCO, Ore. — A tipped over camp stove started a fire Thursday night near the Deschutes River State Recreation Area in the Columbia River Gorge, according to the Sherman County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office announced a Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation notice Thursday night for the Deschutes River State Recreation Area, which is about 16 miles east of The Dalles. The park was evacuated and the sheriff's office told KGW that the evacuation order was lifted. However, the park remains closed on Friday and the sheriff's office is asking people to stay out of the area as the firefighters work.
The camp stove was located several miles south of the park, and the fire is burning north towards the park. The fire has burned around 1,000 acres, as of Friday morning, the sheriff's office said. The agency told KGW that the fire is contained to a canyon, but it isn't completely out.
Crews with the Oregon Department of Forestry, Prineville Bureau of Land Management, North Sherman Fire, Moro Fire and South Sherman Fire are responding. The sheriff's office said additional firefighting resources will arrive sometime on Friday.
High fire danger
The weekend forecast shows high temperatures rising into the low to mid 90s around the region, creating increased fire danger.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Heat Advisory on Saturday for the Portland-Vancouver metro area, and for parts of the Gorge, the Oregon Cascade foothills and the Hood River Valley.
A Fire Weather Watch will also be in effect from Saturday afternoon through the evening. That means that the weather conditions could cause fires to rapidly spread. The NWS does not recommend outdoor burning, and asks people to be extra careful in grassy areas.
This is a developing story and it may be updated when more information becomes available.
Download the KGW News app: Download for iPhone here | Download for Android here
Stream newscasts for free on KGW+ on Roku and Amazon Fire: How to add app to your device here
See a typo in this article? Email web@kgw.com for corrections
