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.