Final Update: Rowena Wildfire
By Griffin Beach on Friday, June 20th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
THE DALLES – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team gave its final update from the Rowena Wildfire Thursday, after the fire caused evacuations and the loss of properties since it started just over a week ago. The final update put the size of the fire at 3,700 acres and said it was 91 percent contained. Command will transition to a local team consisting of Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, ODF Central Oregon District and United States Forest Service-Columbia Gorge Scenic Area.
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office also announced Thursday that all evacuation levels have been lifted, and that the Red Cross shelter at The Dalles Middle School is closing. There was briefly an Level 1 Be Ready evacuation near Five Mile Road and Benson Road south of The Dalles near the Wasco County landfill after a fire was reported there, but that has since been lifted.
At last report from the incident management team, 56 residential structures and 91 additional structures were confirmed lost in the fire. No deaths have been reported as a result of the fire. The cause is still under investigation.
