VIDEO/PHOTOS: A fast-moving wildfire that destroyed at least 20 homes in Wasco County and forced evacuations in an area west of The Dalles next to I-84 was determined to be human-caused, the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center reported on Thursday morning.
More than 2,500 acres have burned so far as the wildfire in the Columbia River Gorge continues to grow with 0% containment. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, โhuman-causedโ means the fire was sparked by some form of human activity, though that does not necessarily mean it was set intentionally. Investigators are still working to determine the exact cause. The Rowena Fire started Wednesday afternoon and quickly spread due to dry vegetation and gusty winds. Multiple evacuations, including Level 3 Go Now, were issued a short time later. Twenty homes were destroyed, according to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.
Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, which allows the state fire marshal to mobilize resources.
