HOOD RIVER, Ore. (KOIN) — The U.S. Forest Service is preparing for a wet winter by adding new warning signs in areas of the Columbia River Gorge affected by the Eagle Creek Fire.
The fire has burned nearly 50,000 acres since it started on Sept. 2, 2017 and in that area, charred and downed trees, rocks and debris make many of the trails dangerous and unpredictable. With the rainy season ahead, there is also the new threat of flooding and landslides.
The new metal signs will be an improvement on the temporary laminate signs and will be more clear and visible to keep trespassers out. They will also better withstand the harsh winter of snow, wind and rain.
The U.S. Forest Service said safety is the priority and they want to make sure everyone is on the same page.
“The fact that they may be in huge danger, we’re putting up the signs with these graphics so people know that this is literally what may happen to you,” Matt Ramich with the U.S. Forest Service said. “A rock may roll down unexpectedly or if it starts to rain a landslide may topple over you.”
There will be 40-50 metal signs on hiking trails that the Forest Service expects to be closed throughout the winter and likely until fall 2018.