A message from the Mayor regarding the Tunnel Five Fire

I spoke with Sheriff Scheyer this morning regarding the Tunnel Five Fire. She reported the SE Washington Incident Management Team 1 arrived and assumed command of the fire last night, coordinating the efforts of multiple state and federal agencies. Local agencies are on standby and ready to assist as needed.

At the time of this release, the fire is not spreading West. State Route 14 remains closed between mile markers 53-63. Access to both the Wind River Middle School and Carson Elementary campuses is restricted until further notice. These facilities and surrounding fields are being used as a command center. A shelter for evacuees has been set up at Skamania County Fairgrounds, 710 SW Rock Creek Dr., Stevenson, WA.

Level 3 Evacuations “GO NOW” have been issued for a two-mile radius around the fire. Visit Skamania County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SkamaniaSheriff for more info. 

Level 1 “GET READY” evacuations are in effect for Klickitat County east of the fire. Visit https://www.klickitatcounty.org/249/Emergency-Management for more details. 

More information can be found at the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sewaimt/

There is a scheduled helicopter water drop this morning and aircraft will be dipping in the water. Recreationalists and boaters in the Columbia River in the vicinity of fire responders should avoid the area entirely or use EXTREME CAUTION. Vehicle traffic in the area is strictly for emergency responders and those evacuating ONLY.

Most of us have friends or family in the affected area and feel for their plight and the uncertainty of their homes and belongings. Please be prepared to be generous with our own homes and resources as needed.  

It has just been released FEMA has authorized funds to Fight Tunnel Five Fire.
 

“The state of Washington’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was approved by FEMA Region 10 Administrator Willie G. Nunn on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at 10:01 p.m. PT. He determined that the Tunnel Five Fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. This is the first FMAG declared in 2023 to help fight Washington wildfires. 

At the time of the state’s request, the wildfire threatened homes in and around the community of Underwood. The fire also threatened businesses, Skamania County Public Utility District infrastructure, Bonneville Power Administration transmission lines, fish hatcheries, and campgrounds and recreational facilities. Additionally, a Level 1 “Get Ready” evacuation warning was issued for the nearby city of White Salmon.

FMAGs are provided through the President's Disaster Relief Fund and are made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster. Eligible items can include expenses for field camps; equipment use, repair, and replacement; mobilization and demobilization activities; and tools, materials, and supplies. This authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating, and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire. 

In addition to the firefighting funds authorized under this FMAG, another $1,225,032 will be available to Washington through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Post Fire for the mitigation of future wildfires and related hazards, such as flood after fire or erosion. Some eligible wildfire project types include defensible space measures, ignition-resistant construction, and hazardous fuels reduction. The Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 authorizes FEMA to provide HMGP Post-Fire funds to eligible states and territories that receive Fire Management Assistance declarations and federally recognized tribes that have land burned within a designated area. 

Scott Anderson

Mayor, City of Stevenson