Another Mt. Hood Ski Area Pauses Operations as Wildfire Burns Nearby
This article has been updated to include the latest information from local officials.
Another ski area on Mt. Hood, Oregon, has suspended operations as the Grasshopper Fire continues to burn tens of thousands of acres nearby.
Perched at the base of Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge announced that its bike park and sky ride—a scenic chairlift ride—would be closed on Wednesday, August 5, citing wildfire smoke. The ski area is known for its summer skiing, but ended those operations earlier than usual last month after a winter that brought little snow.
Timberline’s lodge, a historic structure built in 1937, remains open.
“We look forward to the winds shifting away from Timberline Wednesday afternoon,” the resort wrote in a social media post. “Stay inside and stay safe!”
Around Mt. Hood, the Air Quality Index was between 151 and 200 as of Wednesday morning, according to AirNow, or “unhealthy.”
On the other side of the mountain, Mt. Hood Meadows announced Tuesday that it was under a Level 3 evacuation alert and was closed, sharing an image of dense smoke surrounding the Mt. Hood Express chairlift. It asked people to stay away so fire personnel could do their jobs.
Per KATU, firefighters said that, despite the wildfire threat, Mt. Hood Meadows is surrounded by defensible space. One added that if the flames burn over a nearby ridge, they’ll burn downhill and slow naturally, giving the firefighters more time to protect structures.
According to the Oregon Wildfire Dashboard, which shows the perimeters of fires and evacuation orders across the state, the Grasshopper Fire is burning east of Mt. Hood Meadows on the other side of the Mount Hood Highway. It’s consumed nearly 40,000 acres and is 20% contained, according to the latest update from officials.
More than 1,300 personnel are assigned to the fire, the update added.
“The fire’s northwestern edge is projected to move toward Bennett Pass and the Badger Bowl area. A reduction in fire intensity is expected as the fire approaches the Highway 35 corridor, and there are currently no closures to the highway,” the update reads, describing the plans for Wednesday. “Hand crews and dozers will continue fire suppression east of Highway 35. Structural task forces will continue their triage work on the west side of the fire and as the winds shift crews will assist with burn operations along the northern edge of the fire.”
Timberline Lodge remains under a Level 1, or “be ready,” evacuation order. KATU reported that Timberline will close its hotel if it comes under Level 2 evacuation orders.
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