Governor declares state of emergency
Moro, OR – July 18, 2018 – The Substation Fire started southeast of The Dalles on Tuesday afternoon and moved further east today. Firefighters saw heightened activity on the north and the south end of the fire. More than 50,000 acres in Sherman and Wasco Counties are affected.
Level 3 evacuations (“Go”) increased to include Moro; level 2 evacuations (“Be Ready”) grew to include the community of Wasco, south to the community of Kent and several miles east. More than 900 homes are in the Level 2 and level 3 areas. A Red Cross shelter open at The Dalles Middle School at 1100 E. 12th St in The Dalles.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing threat of wildfire and increasing wildfire activity. The declaration makes available resources from around the state, and from outside of Oregon if necessary.
As of Wednesday afternoon 178 firefighters from 32 agencies across Oregon are focused on protecting structures in the line of the fire. Additional resources continue to arrive from around the state.
A wide variety of flying air tankers have been deployed to fight the Substation Fire. These include:
- Two 750-gallon capacity “Fire Bosses”
- Two ”Super Scooper” air tankers, capable of which are “scooping” 12,000 gallons of water from the Columbia River to drop on the fire
- A heavy air tanker which drops retardant on the fire
- Two Type-2 helicopters
A VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker), which can carry 12,000 gallons of water, was also deployed.
“I saw neighbors helping neighbors and firefighters going the extra mile to bring this fire under control,” said Public Information Officer Damon Simmons. “While these fires are awful, they show the true spirit of the local residents and Oregonians in general.”
Hwy 97 has been closed intermittently. Travelers are advised to check ODOT TripCheck for up-to-date information.
The Wasco Co. Sheriff’s Office confirmed one civilian fatality as a result of exposure to the fire.
A hotline for Substation Fire information has been established: 503-597-8076. Additional information is available at www.faceook.com/Substation2018.