Tunnel Five Fire

Tunnel Five Fire
Part of the 2023 Washington wildfires
Looking northwest from OR-35 in Hood River, Oregon, the Tunnel Five Fire can be seen burning on July 2nd, 2023.
Date(s)	July 2, 2023 (2023-07-02) – July 11, 2023 (2023-07-11)
Location	Skamania County, Washington, United States
Coordinates	45°43′21″N121°34′43″W / 45.722482°N 121.578618°W / 45.722482; -121.578618
Statistics
Burned area	529 acres (214 ha) [1]
Ignition
Cause	under investigation
Map
Approximate perimeter of Tunnel Five Fire (map data)

The Tunnel Five Fire or Tunnel 5 Fire was a wildfire in Skamania County, Washington in the Columbia River Gorge, near the border with Oregon. Ignited in the morning of July 2, 2023, ^[2] the fire was caused by a BNSF locomotive exhaust. ^[3] By July 10, the fire was 80% contained, ^[4] and by the following day it reached 100% containment. ^[5]

History

The fire began in the unincorporated community of Underwood, Washington, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of White Salmon, Washington during a period of hot, dry conditions that was forecasted to last through the July 4 holiday. ^[6] As of July 7,2023 ^[update] , it had burned 546 acres (221 ha) and was 20% containment, and was moving westward. ^{[7] [8] [6]}

Tunnel Five Fire burns above Washington SR14 on July 5, 2023.

Impact

10 homes were estimated to have been burned, ^[9] with 250 nearby homes threatened. ^[8] Fourth of July celebrations were cancelled in White Salmon and nearby towns of Hood River, Oregon, and local bans on personal fireworks were put into place, ^{[10] [9]} in addition to a red flag warning. Level 3 evacuation warnings impacted about 1,000 Skamania county residents. ^[11]

An emergency shelter for evacuees was opened at the Skamania County Fairgrounds. Other areas around the Columbia River Gorge were under warnings to prepare for potential evacuations. ^[6] As of July 6,2023 ^[update] , 461 emergency workers had been deployed to fight the fire using engines and multiple aircraft. ^[12]

The fire caused Washington State Route 14 to be closed in both directions from Milepost 56 to Milepost 65 beginning on July 4. ^[8] It reopened to traffic on July 12 after the fire had reached 80 percent containment. ^[13]

References

1. "Tunnel Five Fire". InciWeb - National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). July 10, 2023. Acres were reduced due to accurate mapping in the eastern portion in Div-G
2. "Skamania County wildfire destroys 10 homes, expected to grow". Oregon Public Broadcasting . Retrieved July 5, 2023.
3. Thompson, Chuck (September 12, 2023). "Investigation finds BNSF railway at fault for Tunnel 5 Fire • Washington State Standard". Washington State Standard. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
4. "Tunnel Five Fire 80% contained; Highway 14 remains closed in the Gorge". The Columbian. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
5. KATU Staff (July 11, 2023). "Tunnel Five Fire 100% contained". KATU . Retrieved July 12, 2023.
6. Mayorquin, Orlando; Holpuch, Amanda (July 4, 2023). "Quick-Moving Wildfire in Washington Threatens Homes and Residents". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 4, 2023.
7. "Tunnel Five Fire near Hood River, OR – Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map". Map-o-Fire. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
8. "Tunnel Five fire 5% contained, only grows slightly overnight in Columbia River Gorge". The Columbian . July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
9. "Tunnel 5 fire grows to 533 acres, destroys several structures; evacuation order remains in place". KGW . July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
10. "Hood River fireworks display cancelled in response to Tunnel 5 wildfire". KPTV, FOX 12. July 3, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
11. Zerkel, Eric (July 4, 2023). "Washington's Tunnel 5 Fire burns structures, forces hundreds from homes". CNN . Retrieved July 4, 2023.
12. "Tunnel Five Fire in Columbia River Gorge still at 5% containment; evacuation levels expand". The Columbian. July 6, 2023.
13. Robbins, Becca (July 13, 2023). "Highway 14 reopens in the Gorge after closure for Tunnel Five Fire". The Columbian. Retrieved July 19, 2023.