Larch Creek Fire grows to 14 square miles, new evacuations in place
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Larch Creek Fire, burning south of The Dalles, has continued to grow rapidly since it started Tuesday afternoon, shooting to over 14 square miles by Wednesday night.
Level 3 evacuations were put into place at 7 p.m. Tuesday night as the fire continued to grow with the blaze sitting at an estimated 9,000 acres as of 8:13 p.m. Wednesday night, according to the State of Oregon’s Fires and Hotspots Dashboard.
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The Level 3 “GO NOW” evacuations from Clark Miller Road east to J Hix Road, north to Kingley-Friend Market Road, and south to Badger Creek Road remain in place. The Level 2 “GET SET” evacuations have been upgraded from Highway 197 east to the Deschutes River, north to Hulse Road, and south to Highway 216.
New Level 1 “GET READY” were put into place from Elliott Road east to Kingsley Road and Dufur Gap Road north to Friend Road, and the original evacuations in Tygh Valley, Wamic and Pine Hollow all remain in place.
According to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Wasco County fairgrounds are open to those who need an evacuation location for livestock and a shelter is set up at Maupin High School for those who are evacuating.
Officials told KOIN 6 News the fire was “human caused,” but the exact catalyst is still under investigation.
As of Tuesday afternoon, all but the south side of the fire has been lined, but Oregon State Fire Marshal spokesperson Gert Zoutendijk said crews are working against heat and high winds while the terrain poses a significant challenge.
Fire crews work to put out a fire near Larch Creek in Oregon. July 10, 2024 (courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry). Fire crews work to put out a fire near Larch Creek in Oregon. July 10, 2024 (courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry). Fire crews work to put out a fire near Larch Creek in Oregon. July 10, 2024 (courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry). Fire crews work to put out a fire near Larch Creek in Oregon. July 10, 2024 (courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry).
“The wind is making the fire go in every direction,” he said. “More canyons, we can’t access it with water. With the crews, it’s very challenging. Just with it being this warm and so low humidity, the firefighters themselves, we look out for their safety, so that they don’t get heat exhaustion.”
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On Tuesday night, Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the fire, which allows the state fire marshal to mobilize state resources to protect life and property.
“Oregonians across the state have been battling unusually high temperatures over the past week, which increased the threat of wildfire,” Gov. Kotek said. “I authorized an emergency conflagration to allow additional resources to fight the Larch Creek Fire. I want to extend my gratitude to Wasco County, Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry, and our federal wildfire protection partners for working around the clock to keep Oregonians safe.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
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