Headlines & History since 1879 Goldendale, Washington
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2025
Vol. 146 No. 32
$1.00
The inevitability of the Burdoin Fire Jordan Mayberry For The Sentinel The hazy skies and ashy scent are no illusion—wildfires are up this year. Goldendale and the greater Gorge region have suffered a series of significant burns, including the Rowena Fire, the Maryhill Loops Fire, and the Burdoin Fire, all appearing in quick succession. The Gorge has had little room to breathe, both literally and figuratively. However, the sudden surge in wildfires, even beyond expected seasonal levels, was evident months in advance; indeed, it was almost inevitable. The Gorge region endured an unusually mild winter overall between 2024 and 2025, marked by mild temperatures and scant snowfall. Nationally, average winter temperatures were 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit above the 1991-2020 baseline, with even starker contrasts in the Pacific Northwest. This was followed by early snowmelt into spring, raising immediate alarm bells among conservationists. The Washington State Department of Ecology warned of increased wildfire risk for this year, stating: “Snow is melting earlier in the spring, leading to soil and forests that are drier and stay dry longer.” That early snowmelt also led to unexpectedly high streamflow during spring 2025, even in the
Courtesy and copyright Janice Lorentz
TAG TEAM PLANES: A pair of firefighter planes over the Burdoin Fire last month. face of low overall precipitation. In an April drought report, Jacob Genuise of the Washington State Climate Office explained: “The three main factors that influence natural streamflow are
melting snowpack, rainfall, and groundwater, the last of which is itself largely determined by snowmelt and rainfall.” He continued, “Given that we have seen below normal precipitation, a likely ex-
planation for higher flows is the earlier‑than‑normal snowmelt.” These increased streamflows did not prevent the Department of Ecology from issuing an emergency drought declaration for the
Yakima watershed in early April, extending its concern to Klickitat County. According to the department, “Yakima‑area reservoir storage is currently 59% of normal for this time of year, the fifth lowest level recorded since 1971.” These drought conditions are expected to worsen wildfire hazards. “This leads to wildfires that can burn hotter and spread faster,” the Department stated. The causal chain is clear: the drier the fuel, the faster the burn; the faster the burn, the bigger the fire. In the June 2025 Drought Report, Genuise detailed the course of the conditions and how they affected the water cycle. “Warm and very dry conditions in June 2025 contributed to worsening drought conditions and declining streamflow statewide,” he said. Streamflow dropped steeply heading into summer: “Almost all basins have below normal flow, and many across western Washington and the Cascades are now in the ‘much below normal’ category. This means 10% or fewer years have seen lower streamflow during June in these basins,” Genuise explained. Streambeds were left bare, and the ground moisture evaporated. The setup for a dry summer was all but written for an area already at high risk. At the geographic crossroads of
See Fire page A8
Fawn in the field: a closer look
Help on home rebuilding
Lorrie Fox For The Sentinel
Rodger Nichols For The Sentinel
A diverse array of wildlife calls Klickitat County home throughout its vast variety of habitats that include forests, prairies, wetlands, and protected areas along the banks of the Columbia and Klickitat Rivers. Among the wildlife, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), are partially migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), a subspecies of mule deer. However, a hunting website says that white-tailed deer (endangered) and hybrids also call Klickitat County home. Adult deer (female does and male bucks) can be seen grazing wheat and hayfields, nibbling gardens, crossing roads, and nesting near trees or houses, while fawns (baby deer), with their reddish brown coats sprinkled with white
Lorrie Fox
FAWN AT REST: A fawn lying in grass. Most often fawns seen alone are perfectly fine; mom is usually nearby. dots, blend into their surroundings. Last month, this reporter was surprised to see a new fawn lying in our wheat field, hidden in plain sight, veiled by the shade of a tire on a 12-ton irrigation hose reel. And I didn’t know what to do! “It’s common for people to see fawns alone this time of year,”
says Jennifer Sepulveda, communications manager of Wildlife Program, Climate and Sustainability Initiatives, WDFW. “Often, people worry that they’ve been abandoned or that they need to try to help the fawn. However, it is normal for does to leave their fawns alone, even for prolonged periods of
time, while the doe feeds. A fawn’s natural instinct is to hide, and it will lie still and quietly until its mother returns,” Sepulveda says. “The doe knows where she left her fawn and will return for it. “If you find a fawn alone, more likely than not, it is safe and healthy,” says Sepulveda. “The
See Fawn page A8
Funds needed for Pioneer Monument refurbishment Melissa Uhles For The Sentinel Gary Crevling is working with the Klickitat County Historical Society and the Presby Museum to get the Pioneer Monument on the Courthouse lawn refurbished. When asked why he was interested in this project, he says, “I had family from the Klickitat Valley; three of my great-grandparents are on that monument.” He explains it took some time to figure out who was in charge of the monument. Crevling wasn’t sure if it was the county or the city. After some research, he discovered that anything relating to the monument is under the purview of the Klickitat County Historical Society. Praising the staff at the Presby Museum for their help, Crevling says, “They helped me find two great-grandparents’ homesteads. Those folks know their stuff.” He adds he couldn’t imagine being able to get that level of help-
fulness in Seattle, where he now resides. Five years in the making, the monument was dedicated in 1940. Over 250 Klickitat pioneers have their names carved on the granite monument. These are settlers who arrived prior to 1880. Some of the last names will be familiar to some descendants who still live in the area. Crevling explained that while one side looks great—it was restored 12 years ago—the other three sides have weathered over time, making some of the names hard to read. Interestingly, Pioneer Rock and Monument is the name of the company that will be commissioned to do the restoration. The process involves painting each side with a watered-down molasses mixture, which doesn’t go into carved letters. Next, they will spray it with black paint that goes inside the lettering. The last step is to hose off the molasses. This
See Funds page A8
Melissa Uhles
NEEDS A FACE LIFT: Funds are being raised to refurbish the Pioneer Monument on the courthouse lawn.
One question facing those who lost homes in the National Scenic Area on both sides of the Columbia is, “What hoops do I have to jump through to rebuild?” Columbia River Gorge Commission Executive Director Krystyna Wolniakowski and Gorge Commission Planner Mackenzie Aamodt visited the Klickitat County Commissioners meeting last Tuesday to provide some answers. “We’ve been thinking about what it is we can do to be as helpful as possible so that people have a smoother process for rebuilding,” Krystyna said. “We are going to do everything we can to not have any barriers, and we’re even considering some modifications to our current rules.” To that end, she said, the Commission had put together a question-and-answer document with key points about the process. If you rebuild in the same footprint in the same location, you’ll be allowed to skip a cultural survey requirement in your review. For that, you will have to provide documentation about the original structure, particularly if you don’t have any pictures. You’ll still have to comply with approved building materials and colors. Despite what you may have heard, yes you can build with a metal roof, as long as it is nonreflective. You even have a little wiggle room in that you can increase the footprint by up to 10 percent over the home that was lost. The definition of “footprint” in this case includes covered decks, porches, and attached garages. If you have to rebuild at a different location on the property, you’ll need a licensed professional to demonstrate the original site is no longer usable; and the new site can’t be more visible than the original site. You can temporarily live in an RV or a tent at the site for up to 60 days in every 12-month period, and you can put one new 60-square-foot ten-foot-tall shed without review. The complete document can be found on the Gorge Commission website. If the Gorge Commission
See Homes page A8