A wildfire burning out of control in Oregon, near the state’s border with Washington, has forced hundreds of evacuations and closures of major roadways as gusty winds threaten further spread and challenge firefighting crews.
The Rowena Fire has burned 3,500 acres since it ignited on Wednesday afternoon in Wasco County, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal. It’s 0% contained as of Thursday afternoon.
The blaze has destroyed at least 20 residences and is threatening over 2,100, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. It was caused by human activity, the center’s report said, though no further details were provided.
More than 800 homes were under evacuation orders in part of northern Wasco County Wednesday night, CNN affiliate KATU reported. An additional 2,500 homes were under evacuation warnings or advisories urging residents to be ready to evacuate soon – including parts of The Dalles, the county’s largest city and home to about 15,000 people.
Interstate 84 was shut down in both directions for nearly 20 miles on Wednesday evening but reopened early Thursday morning, with travelers urged to use caution, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. Nearby US-30 remained closed in both directions for about 10 miles Thursday afternoon.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on Wednesday afternoon, allowing the state’s fire marshal to mobilize resources to help combat the fire, according to a news release.
“This early season conflagration should come as a reminder to Oregonians to be ready for wildfire,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in the release.
“The predictions for this summer are extremely concerning. I am asking everyone to take that extra minute to mindful of the conditions and remember it takes a single spark to ignite a disaster.”
A hotter, drier summer than normal is expected across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, according to the Climate Prediction Center. Many areas are already experiencing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions that are expected to intensify, increasing the risk of wildfires as vegetation dries out.
The region and most of the West is facing above-normal fire potential through September, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Climate change is making droughts more frequent and prolonged, creating the dry, hot conditions that fuel more dangerous fire weather. It’s also causing more frequent and larger fires with more extreme behavior.
This week, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest baked under intense heat that dried out soil and left vegetation vulnerable to fire start and spread.
The high temperature hit triple digits in The Dalles on both Sunday and Monday – Monday’s high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit broke a record for the date that had stood since 1955.
Windy conditions on Wednesday, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph, fanned the flames once the Rowena Fire sparked in the afternoon.
Wind will pose a continued challenge for fire crews Thursday. Gusts of 15 to 25 mph will occur into the evening and a few gusts past 30 mph are possible. Winds will remain gusty at times through Friday and no rain is expected into at least early next week.
CNN’s David Williams and Tyler Ory contributed to this report.