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Wasco County extends Rowena fire emergency to July 1 and adopts updated emergency operations plan
Summary
Emergency Manager Sheridan McClellan briefed the board on Rowena fire recovery work and asked to extend the local declaration of emergency to July 1, 2026; the board also approved an updated Emergency Operations Plan that adds city-specific evacuation annexes.
Wasco County commissioners voted unanimously on Feb. 4 to extend a local state of emergency related to the Rowena fire through July 1, 2026, and to adopt a comprehensive update to the county Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
Emergency Manager Sheridan McClellan told the board that 21 of 48 properties affected by the Rowena fire have been cleared so far and that the bulk of debris cleanup is expected to be finished by the end of February. He said the emergency declaration remains necessary to support longer-term recovery activities, including water-system repairs, housing and shelter work.
The updated EOP replaces the county’s 2017 plan with a localized, modular approach that provides each city and community — from The Dalles and Maupin to Antelope, Wamic and Tygh Valley — with an evacuation annex tailored to local needs. McClellan said the plan integrates modern situational-awareness tools and revised protocols for Emergency Support Functions such as HAZMAT and Emergency Operations Center activation.
Chair Scott C. Hege asked how city-level annexes would be presented to residents; McClellan said each city will be asked to present its section to its city council as part of a formal local approval process before the final plan is archived. Commissioners approved extending Order 25-048 (now Order 26-007) and adopted the 2026 EOP without objection.
The extension preserves the county’s ability to request state and federal recovery resources and to continue debris-removal and hazard-mitigation work while staff transitions from immediate cleanup to longer-term repairs and community recovery projects.
