Oregon Public Broadcasting

One hundred additional firefighters have been assigned to the Gnarl Ridge Fire, burning in the historic Cloud Cap area on Mt. Hood.  Pete Springer reports.

The additional crews will join more than 200 firefighters already assigned to the blaze, which is burning over about 2500 acres. 

Dozens of summer homes in the area have been evacuated.

But fire officials say conditions are improving slightly and the fire has calmed down, compared with earlier this week.

Jeree Mills is with the Northwest Coordination Center.  She says warm weather on the mountain over the past couple days helped the fire grow and burn actively through the crowns in the trees.

Jeree Mills “They weren’t sure if the Tilly Jane area survived or not, and both Cloud Cap and the Tilly Jane buildings are still there.  And so they’re hoping to go up and set-up a portable sprinkler system at Tilly Jane if they can get access.” 

In addition to the sprinklers, air tankers have already dropped fire retardant around Cloud Cap and Tilly Jane, and a helicopter is dropping water on hotspots.