Yesterday: Firefighters responded immediately in the early morning hours of September 8, 2020 when the Riverside Fire was first reported.Driven by high winds, crews reported extreme fire growth including torching, running, and spotting fire behavior as the fire moved 17 miles west along the Clackamas River drainage over the course of the day.
“This weather is extremely hazardous to our firefighters and first responders,” said Richard Periman, Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor. “We responded immediately when the fire was first reported, and we’ll keep all of the firefighting resources we have available on the Riverside Fire as we keep life and human safety as our top priority.”
Today: A second day of high-winds and low humidity could continue to drive active fire growth on the Clackamas River corridor of the Mt. Hood National Forest and surrounding private lands. Crews and available air resources will continue to look for opportunities to stop forward growth on the fire and protect life and property. More than 20 engines and crews are currently working to address immediate human life concerns, including working with county emergency management to assess any buildings burned yesterday. The fire remains seven miles from the community of Estacada, OR. This is an extremely fluid situation and more information will be shared as it becomes available.
Evacuations: Numerous evacuations are in place in and around the community of Estacada, OR. Please check with the Clackamas County Sherriff’s Office for real-time evacuation notifications.
Read full USFS fire update HERE
Information and text in this post generated from Mt. Hood National Forest