By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer

Hood River City Manager Bob Francis asked emergency responders to debrief last week about the June 18 fire along Interstate 84 that stalled traffic for hours.

Francis wanted firefighters and law enforcement officials to discuss their respective perspectives of the incident. He was looking for ways to fine-tune the response process so that traffic snarls could be alleviated more quickly in the future.

“The City of Hood River already has a response plan for incidents that occur within the city but, in cases like this, we are affected by something far from here,” said Francis.

The westbound lanes of I-84 were closed for about six hours in mid-June after a flatbed trailer of hay burst into flames just east of Cascade Locks. The resulting vehicle backup during the afternoon filled Hood River streets with traffic and caused gridlock at Exit 64.

Motorists lined up along State Street and Highway 35 to cross the interstate bridge and continue westbound travel on Washington State Route 14.

By evening, the Port of Hood River had lifted the toll on the bridge in an effort to relieve traffic congestion.

Attending the June 25 discussion of the incident in the county administration building were representatives from: Hood River City Police, Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, Hood River Fire Department, Oregon State Police, 911 Dispatch Center, Oregon Department of Transportation, Port of Hood River and Hood River County Department of Emergency Management.

Marita Haddan, director of the 911 center, gained agreement from the group that her staff should be the communication base during a crisis.

She said dispatchers are trained to determine which resources are needed in the field as they receive information. 

For example, she said Cascade Locks Asst. Fire Chief Jess Zerfing, who was serving as incident commander since Chief Jeff Pricher was out of town, cancelled a dispatcher’s call-out of Westside Fire District on June 18. She said, a short time later, the assistance of West Side was requested by Cascade Locks firefighters.

“This caused a delay in getting help to the scene for containment of the fire,” said Haddan.

Sheriff Joe Wampler agreed with Haddan, as did the others in the conference, that relaying information to 911 should be a top priority of all responders at an emergency scene.

“Our 911 center is always the hub,” said Wampler.

Because I-84 and Highway 35 are both state highways, he said ODOT also had a major role to play in traffic control.

Dan Bacon, ODOT district manager, agreed to provide more manpower at emergency scenes and intersections on these roadways. However, he concurred with Wampler that a law enforcement officer also needed to be present to handle any conflicts that arose between drivers.

Sheriff Detective Gerry Tiffany, who helped direct traffic at Exit 64, said his arrival stopped a brawl between four motorists who did not want to yield the right of way at an intersection.

“If just a hay fire caused all of this, can you imagine what would have happened if it had been a hazardous chemicals fire?” he asked.

Francis believes that, if authorities follow 911 and ODOT’s lead, there will be less of a traffic snarl at the next incident.

Wampler said that a certain amount of confusion is unavoidable during any emergency that disrupts the normal routine of many motorists.