Infernos fueled by dry winds continue to devastate communities in Clackamas County as Level 3 "Go Now" evacuations remain in effect for many places, including the city of Estacada.
"We really need folks to evacuate when we say so," Sheriff Craig Roberts said Wednesday.
Authorities expanded the Level 3 evacuation area at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to include all of Eaden Road and west to S. Harding Road, as well as a small area west of Beavercreek Road which includes all of S. Gard Road and Unger Road to the first part of Windy City.
The entire city of Estacada was ordered to evacuate around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday as first responders struggled to control several wildfires in the area, including the large Riverside Fire.
The human-caused Riverside Fire, burning southeast of Estacada, had jumped to 120,000 acres and remains at 0% containment as of Thursday morning, according to Mt Hood National Forest officials. An estimated 230 structures, including 16 homes, have burned. Even more were threatened.
Clackamas County officials said the other fires which started at various times Sunday afternoon and into the night were burning a combined 3,550 acres.
The Unger Road Fire has burned 200 structures, including five houses southeast of Highway 211. Four structures, including one house had burned west of Highway 211.
In Molalla, the Willhoit Fire has destroyed two structures, one of which was a house. Officials estimated it was between 10-15% contained by 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Twelve structures have been lost, including six homes, to the Dowty Road Fire. It's also estimated at 10-15% containment.
The Spangler Road Fire — which started within the last 24 hours at Highway 213 — had burned 10 acres, two structures (including one house) and was under control by 8 p.m. Wednesday
A new fire started on Elk Rock Island in Milwaukie, in the Willamette River near Lake Oswego, on Wednesday night was quickly contained. Firefighters were mopping up around 9 p.m. — less than an hour after responding to the scene. The fire caught in the trees and burned about half an acre. No evacuations were ordered.
One evacuation site is set up at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, and officials set up other check-in sites around the county.
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