Fire in the Gorge: Tunnel 5 Fire at 80% containment as of July 10

As of July 10 (press deadline), the fire was at 80% containment, and all evacuations in Skamania County had been downgraded to Level 1 (Be Ready). Travel along the Cook-Underwood Road is now open to local traffic, but SR-14 remains closed between mileposts 56-65, and the temporary flight restriction remains in place. There are no evacuation notices for Klickitat County.

“Air quality is bad due to the wildfire smoke; in addition, it is possible to get poison oak systemically by breathing the smoke of burning poison oak,” the City of White Salmon reported in its daily briefing July 9 (www.white-salmon.net). “Those with vulnerable health conditions or sensitivities to poison oak may want to consider wearing masks.”

The fire is still under investigation, and anyone with photos or video should contact Northwest Team 12 at 971-800-0411 or 2023.tunnelfive@firenet.gov.

Underwood resident shares lessons

Patrick and Robin McConnell are two Underwood residents affected by the Tunnel 5 Fire. Their house still stands; it has been reported that as many as 10 structures burned during the initial onslaught.

“We’ve got a lot of smoke and ash in the house — there are several windows that were left open,” Patrick McConnell said. “It’s going to be a pretty substantial cleanup.”

McConnell had planned for the possibility of (another) Gorge wildfire years ago and credits that preparation for saving his home.

“There’s a big signboard from the National Forest Service [outside the Underwood Post Office] that says the Columbia Gorge is a wind tunnel lined with fuel … The idea for the fire suppression system really came from some photos I saw of the Santa Rose Fire down in California, where you had a wildland fire that jumped into a couple of big, suburban subdivisions and destroyed literally hundreds of homes.”

One investment that helped save his home: Installing a large water tank, pump and field sprinkler. Having seen farmers and ranchers utilize sprinklers, he began researching what it would cost to put in a system of his own — and discovered it would cost between $5,000-$6,000.

The system itself is simple — a tank with a couple of pipe valves and an electric pump.

Because the sprinklers got shut off when power was cut, he suggests placing a sign on the electrical master disconnect telling firefighters not to disconnect power if the fire sprinkler is operating.

McConnell also suggests having a “bug out bag” ready to go, containing items like laptops, passports, identification and other valuables; having a specific place for car keys so you can find them quickly; and, at the first sign of trouble, throwing flammable items away from the house.

“Clear as much area as possible,” he said. “Stone landscaping or trimmed lawn are better than unkempt shrubs and weeds.”

History of the fire

Skamania County Sheriff Summer Scheyer said her department received word of the blaze at 11:19 a.m. on July 2, and she arrived on scene at the Spring Creek Fish Hatchery shortly thereafter.

“It was absolutely incredible to see the fire response and how quickly it fell together,” she said. “There were aircraft already fighting the fire almost immediately.”

The fire initially closed a portion of SR-14 — currently between mileposts 56-65 — because of its proximity to the blaze. The highway remains closed due to hazards like falling rocks and trees, as well as for the safety of fire and infrastructure crews.

Because of the extremely steep terrain, aircraft are being utilized to drop water on the fire, according to Northwest Incident Management Team 12 Incident Commander Bobby Shindelar.

“The firefighters are making great progress,” he said during a July 5 press conference held via the Southwest Washington Fire Information Facebook page. “One of the problems with the steepness of this terrain, we’re not able to get very far over the edge. It’s just too hazardous for the firefighters to work on the steep ground, and so containment will be slow.”

Hotshot crews constructed containment lines along the western perimeter in steep, rocky terrain. Other crews continued to patrol along Highway 14 and the Cook-Underwood Road, looking for embers that could potentially cross the line and create spot fires. There is also a Temporary Flight Restriction over the area, banning drones, as aircraft are primarily being used to fight the blaze.

Many residents near Underwood were evacuated (Level 3, Go), with the cities of Bingen and White Salmon at a Level 1 (Get Ready). The Red Cross opened a shelter for evacuees at the Skamania County Fairground, which will remain open until no longer needed. The Level 1 notice for Klickitat County residents ended July 3 around 8 p.m., but as of July 7, some residents of Underwood had yet to return home, though evacuation has been downgraded to a Level 2 (Get Ready).

Mary Wister, incident meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Pendleton, said the primary forecast challenge to the fire was the wind.

“The bad news is the winds, and of course winds can always be problems for fires,” Wister said.

In response to the fire, however, Gorge communities canceled Fourth of July events. The City of Hood River, the City of White Salmon and the City of Cascade Locks have all issued emergency bans on personal fireworks, and the Port of Klickitat County canceled the annual DIY fireworks event at Bingen Point, all due to active fire in the region. Hood River Lions also canceled its Fourth of July fireworks show out of respect to those affected.

Complicating matters, a boil water mandate issued by Skamania County PUD No. 1, triggered when a reservoir went dry. That order was lifted in the evening of July 6, though the PUD was asking customers to limit water consumption to essential use only and to refrain from irrigation-type activities.

CenturyLink also reported 123 customers were without phone service in the Willard/Mill-A area. A member of Skamania County Amateur Radio Emergency Services was stationed at the Mill-A School to take emergency calls in person. Skamania County Library advertised 14/7 free wi-fi in its parking lot for those without service, with the inside acting as a cooling shelter and computer station during regular business hours.

By July 7, the fire was holding fast at 556 acres, with containment at 20%.