Fire Articles and Analysis

Below, in reverse chronological order back to the Eagle Creek fire outbreak in September 2017, are links to fire-related news posts generated by Friends of the Columbia Gorge:

July 18, 2018: Wildfire Near The Dalles Spreads to Over 36,000 Acres
June 28, 2018: Fireworks & Forests Don't Mix
June 14, 2018: Pacific Crest Trail, Benson State Park Reopen After Eagle Creek Fire
March 12, 2018: Friends Makes Additional $20,000 Gift to Support "Be There for the Gorge" Campaign
February 22, 2018: Eight Questions: Recovering Gorge Trails 
February 16, 2018: Friends Responds to Eagle Creek Fire Court Decision
January 30, 2018: Friends Makes $10,000 Gift to Support Crowdfunding Campaign Kick-Off
November 16, 2017: Giving Thanks Through the Fire: Cascade Locks Strong
October 16,2017: Hood River County Presented With $46,140 Gift in Honor of Wildfire Heroes
September 19, 2017: PRESS RELEASE: Walden Gorge Salvage Logging Proposal Must Be Stopped
September 7, 2017: Friends Applauds Gorge Wildfire Containment Efforts
September 5, 2017: Friends Responds to Eagle Creek Fire Outbreak

Kevin Gorman essays

On Sept. 7, 2017, five days into the Eagle Creek fire, the U.S. Forest Service and other lead agencies fighting the wildfire reported that the blaze was five percent contained. Kevin Gorman, executive director for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, said in response: 

"Where days ago I only saw smoke, I now see some hope. We applaud the ongoing efforts by firefighters to contain this devastating wildfire and commend all of the first responders and community groups working together to help those in the Gorge who have been displaced. 
  
"We have a long journey ahead but the Gorge is a resilient place. We will rebuild, wild areas affected will rebound and Friends is committed to ensuring that community voices are taken into account when the restoration process for this national treasure begins. 
  
"We continue to urge members of the public to stay out of the Gorge and keep the roads clear for firefighters, first responders and evacuating Gorge residents. The federal government must make any and all resources available to state and local first responders on the front lines of this effort." 

In the weeks and months after the Eagle Creek fire, Gorman expanded on the emerging theme of Gorge resilence in a series of essays.

Kevin Gorman essays by Friends of the Columbia Gorge executive director Kevin Gorman about Gorge resiliency post Eagle-Creek fire

February 5, 2018: We Are All Caretakers of the Gorge
January 2, 2018: The Fire and the Future
September 22, 2017: It's Time to Reconnect With the Gorge