Aircraft drop water to douse the flames of the Microwave Tower Fire near Mosier July 22.
Petar Marshall / file photo
MOSIER — The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail connecting Hood River and Mosier, closed since the Microwave Tower fire ignited, reopened on Oct. 3. The burned area remains closed, but bikers and others can now travel through the Mosier Twin Tunnels between the East and West Mark O. Hatfield Trailheads.
While the fire’s perimeter has been contained for more than a month, an old disposal site continued to smolder until Sept. 24. While conducting suppression activities, crews from the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (CRGNSA), Forest Service and Mosier Fire District reportedly unearthed automobile parts, a water heater and wastewater pipes among other debris, which emitted toxic gases and forced firefighters to wear respirators.
Along with Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality, CRGNSA has been monitoring air quality in the area. On Sept. 6, they elevated levels of volatile organic compounds at the dump, and the concentration of benzene was more than double the safe short-term exposure amount. On Sept. 16, they detected heavy metals such as lead and chromium both at the dump and nearby on the trail. All are carcinogenic.
According to CRGNSA, testing on Sept. 26 and Oct. 2 showed heavy metals below detection limits, but very low levels of VOCs are still present. CRGNSA plans to coordinate cleaning up the associated soil and water contaminations with its partners.
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