Fire
Report a Wildfire: Call 911 or contact the Columbia Cascade Communication Center (WACCC) at (360) 891-5140.
The Cascade Mountain Range bisects the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, so the mountains cast a rain shadow, making the rainy western Gorge home to lush forests, while east Gorge is much drier and dominated by grasslands. Meanwhile, the Gorge creates a wind tunnel effect as it carves through the Cascades, leading to winds that average 20 mph and commonly gust up to 50 mph during fire season. The Gorge's terrain includes steep canyon walls, near-vertical slopes, and cliffs that challenge firefighters.
The Columbia River Gorge, as a fire environment, is challenging, dynamic, and demands of its suppression staff a high level of competence, creative thinking, and the capacity for aggressive, decisive action. No two wildfires are ever alike, and resource protection and management objectives are often highly complex.
Current Fire Information
Find information about current wildfire, prescribed burning, fire danger level and any public use restrictions in place.
Fire Management
Our team includes full-time firefighters and part-time support from employees in other resource areas, and we work year round with partners to combat wildfire while also using fire as a tool for ecological restoration and to reduce catastrophic wildfire impacts to communities.
Fire Prevention
Over 90% of wildfires in the Columbia River Gorge are human caused, please do your part and be fire smart!