Rowena Wildfire Recovery
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum (CGDCM) was evacuated due to the Rowena Wildfire that closed Highway I-84
between Hood River and The Dalles. During the evacuation, all visitors, staff, and the beloved raptors safely left the grounds. The building still stands, despite fire burning all around, thanks to the heroic efforts of the emergency responders.
The staff of CGDCM are grateful for all the assistance, messages of care, and prayers that have been given. We appreciate the great outpouring of concern that we have received and will continue to provide updates of our progress as we reopen better than ever.
Thanks to the courageous protection from firefighters, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum survived the Rowena Fire (June 11, 2025). As you will see in these photographs, significant areas of the Museum grounds burned. The Museum building and our raptor enclosures also sustained fire damage.
Shortly after the Rowena Fire was controlled, the Burdoin Fire burned the Washington side of the Gorge from Bingen to Lyle. The loss of approximately 100 homes and other property damage from these fires has been devastating to the Gorge Community. The Discovery Center Staff and Board of Directors feels deeply for our friends and neighbors who lost property in the fire. Please consider making a donation of support to our neighbors if you can. Please consider supporting the Museum through a contribution or a membership.
https://uwcg.ejoinme.org/RowenaFireReliefRecoveryFund
Click on the photos to read more of how the Museum grounds were affected by the Rowena Fire
Hank, Killer, Liberty and Ferguson are all safely back home at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum. All three raptors are doing well! The enclosures for our two eagles, Liberty and Fergusson and our Red-tailed Hawk, Killer, both sustained fire damage. While the raptors were safely housed at the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory, (please thank them when you go for a visit!) we began working on repairs to their mews as soon as it was safe to return to the Museum.
With the help of some wonderful volunteers, we also took the opportunity to make some extra upgrades which could not be done while the birds are at home, including new comfy perches and a better viewing window for the eagles. We have tried to keep the raptor schedules as consistent as possible as we continue to work on smaller maintenance projects in the bird enclosures and in our own workspace. We are looking forward to all of you being able to see them again soon!
Tree removal has begun and nature is already springing back just 2 weeks after the Rowena Fire. Lupine, wild buckwheat and other native plants are sprouting. The Museum interior is currently undergoing post-fire damage inspection, repairs and cleanup.
We are deeply grateful for the heroic efforts of the firefighters who protected this important cultural resource.
Update on the Museum Raptors from Raptor Program Coordinator, Julia Khoury:
The Museum's raptors, Hank (American Kestrel), Killer (Red-tailed Hawk) and Ferguson and Liberty (American Bald Eagles) were evacuated from the Museum due to the Rowena Fire. The birds are doing well in their new temporary home at the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory. The birds are settling in nicely and are happy to be able to stretch their wings! Within a few minutes of being placed into their temporary homes, Hank and Killer had started eating their dinner and Liberty and Ferguson had hopped into their bath.
The CGDCM Raptor team will head back to Sunriver soon to deliver more food and to check on the birds. If you are near Sunriver, Oregon go say hello and thank the hard workers at the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory for taking such good care of our feathered friends until they can come home safely.
Check out their website for more information: https://snco.org
Press Release from the Executive Director Cheryl Ragar
Thursday June 12, 2025,
1:30pm
Dear Friends and Supporters,
At about 3:00 pm yesterday, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum (CGDCM) was evacuated due to the Rowena Wildfire that closed Highway I-84 between Hood River and The Dalles. During the evacuation, all visitors, staff, and the beloved raptors safely left the grounds. As of the latest updates available the building still stands, despite fire burning all around, thanks to the heroic efforts of the emergency responders. The staff of CGDCM are grateful for all the assistance, messages of care, and prayers that have been given. We appreciate the great outpouring of concern that we have received and will continue to try and provide updates as we get news. For now, most official updates are coming from news sources, such as the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.
At the same time, we have learned of the heartbreaking loss of homes in the areas near the Discovery Center & Museum. We are deeply saddened that our neighbors are now facing those realities. As part of the community of The Dalles and Wasco County, we are committed to doing all we can to lend support as we are able.
We will post more information as it becomes available to us.
The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum (CGDCM) opened their doors in 1997 as the official interpretive center of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, with a mission to inspire stewardship of the Columbia River Gorge and Wasco County and to encourage active, life-long learning about our shared environment and the preservation, collection and interpretation of cultural and natural history of the region.
Please stay safe,
Dr. Cheryl Ragar