Wildfire along Columbia River now 14% contained as officials warn residents to be cautious

A wildfire burning along Washington’s border with Oregon was 13% contained as of Thursday morning, as more than 900 fire personnel worked to contain a blaze that has so far burned more than 11,000 acres.

The Burdoin Fire, which is burning near White Salmon along the Columbia River, has so far burned 11,248 acres as fire personnel work to set a perimeter. During a news conference Thursday morning, officials said the cause of the fire, which started July 18, remains under investigation, though it started near a roadway.

“This is an all-hands response. Our response has been strong, the work that’s been done by the leaders on the ground has been effective,” Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said during a news conference Thursday.

On Thursday, Klickitat Emergency Management said that the weather that day could prove to be a major factor, with conditions similar to the day the fire started. Forecasts called for temperatures in the mid-80s in White Salmon, Wash. on Thursday, with sustained winds of 20 mph and gusts up to 35 mph.

Gov. Bob Ferguson toured the response Thursday, where he pledged the state would provide the resources needed to fight the fire and thanked the crews who have spent nearly a week fighting the flames.

“We’re just deeply appreciative of the work that they do, the long hours that they’re putting in, the very difficult terrain that they’re operating under,” Ferguson said. “On behalf of the state of Washington, we so deeply appreciate those individuals and their sacrifice, and their bravery, in going out there to fight this fire.”

Upthegrove also reiterated calls for residents to take steps to mitigate the risk of fires.

“We know that about 90% of wildfires in Washington state are human-caused, and that means we all have a role to play to try and keep fires like this from happening in the first place,” Upthegrove said. “That means making sure that your campfires are out cold to the touch, it means making sure that you aren’t dragging cables behind your vehicles that can spark, and to be careful and safe to make sure that we reduce the impact of human activity that causes these fires.”

Last week, the Department of Natural Resources instituted a burn ban on state managed land in Eastern Washington, which prohibits outdoor burning, campfires and charcoal briquettes on all forest lands.

While Upthegrove said the state has enough resources to provide adequate fire responses this year, cuts in the state budget adopted by the legislature could create challenges in the future.

“If next year’s supplemental budget does not restore some of that funding, we’re going to see more fires like this, and they’re going to be larger, and they’re going to cost the taxpayers a lot more money in the back end,” Upthegrove said. “So as we reflect on the ongoing challenges we’re facing and responding, and soon recovering from this fire, it’s a good time to think about the importance of prevention and preparedness as well.”

On Thursday, Sen. Maria Cantwell said approximately $20 million in federal funding that had previously been withheld had been released to the Washington state Department of Natural Resources.

“The State of Washington is in the middle of an active and dangerous wildfire season. After questioning the Chief of the Forest Service and the Secretary of Agriculture, I am pleased that Washington – and all states – are finally receiving the funding they need to prepare for and respond to wildfires this summer and in the future,” Cantwell said in a statement.

The Burdoin fire is one of six active wildfires that are burning in Washington. As of Tuesday, more than 37,000 acres have burned in the state so far this year, with more to likely start in the coming months. The National Interagency Fire Center has forecast a high wildfire risk across the state through September, and a high risk in eastern and central Washington through October.

According to the forecast, the increased threat is partially attributed to a lack of rain and a rapidly decreasing snowpack this year, which have resulted in drier-than-typical conditions.

“Regional snowpack continued rapid melting at rates faster than average through May, given mild temperatures and no significant reinforcing precipitation,” the outlook states.