State park officials in Oregon have issued an urgent warning to all local hikers, backpackers, runners, and tourists as large wildfires have forced popular trails to close. Despite the danger, some people have ignored the alarm, putting themselves in harm's way.
Two wildfires have wreaked havoc across the Columbia River along the border of Washington and Oregon. The Whiskey Creek and Microwave Tower fires have spread across more than 3,000 acres combined, burning near local trails.
To protect visitors, Oregon State Parks manager of the Columbia Gorge, David Spangler, told OregonLive that his team has posted closure signs along popular trails. However, not everyone has been obeying the signs.
"It's a concern for people's safety because there are significant hazards right now in these closed areas," Spangler told the outlet. "A fire can spread rapidly and spread quickly. As we saw in the Eagle Creek fire in 2017, we don't want people trapped."
The Eagle Creek fire stranded 140 hikers who attempted to travel through the gorge. All had to be rescued the next day.
During the first week of August, a large portion of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area was closed for safety reasons, as were nearly all trails between the Pacific Crest Trail and Starvation Ridge in eastern Oregon.
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Authorities are warning hikers and tourists to know which trails are open and closed during wildfires before setting off on a hike.
"We're seeing a lot of disregard because right now the closure is large and the fire is relatively small," Spangler said. "We really want to ensure that people do not get into dangerous areas."
Heeding the warnings of these state parks officials is one step toward helping protect ourselves and the surrounding ecosystems. Traveling along closed paths is dangerous for humans and can disturb local wildlife and their habitats.
Humans can also make wildfires worse by traveling in closed areas. The Western Fire Chiefs Association found that humans are responsible for almost 90% of wildfires due to factors like discarded cigarettes or unattended campsites.
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To avoid traveling in the closed area, state parks officials recommend consulting wildfire.oregon.gov and TripCheck.com for the most updated information on closures and fire conditions.
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