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The Columbia River Gorge is now one of the state's most landslide-prone areas, geologists say.
While the heavy rain helped dampen the Eagle Creek Fire, which is 46 percent contained, up from 28 percent last Friday, officials fear the rain could trigger rock slides.
Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Don Hamilton says he is unaware of any major rock slides yet.
"It's hard to tell at this point because there may have been slides up high in a drainage area, but there wasn't anything major that we're aware of," Hamilton tells WW. "There was nothing that caused any additional closures. There may have been areas that we haven't checked, but nothing that we're seeing that we can attribute to the rain we're expecting to see slides."
Hamilton says he is still concerned about future landslides.
"When you take away the underbrush and add rain that's a recipe for slides. I'm a little surprised that we didn't see some slides," he says. "Fortunately, we dodged a debris flow."
Hamilton says that Interstate 84's eastbound lanes will reopen either Sunday night or Monday.
Along with the heavy rain, fire officials also announced that Eagle Creek Fire growth would be unlikely, a major win in what has been nearly a monthlong firefighting effort.
And today, the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries released a map of the Gorge showing the most landslide-prone areas.
The map shows 268 places where landslides have been before have been before in the Eagle Creek Fire area, making them particularly prone to landslides again. This also goes for other areas, including your own home, so it's definitely worth a look.
Geologists say burned areas are more susceptible to landslides because the rain hits the soil without barriers of vegetation. Even after the fire is out, landslide threats will remain high.
"With Oregon's rainiest months still ahead, it's extremely important for people to be more aware than ever of landslide hazards in this area," Bill Burns, DOGAMI engineering geologist said in a press release. Burns is one of the authors of a report released today outlining the significant landslide hazards in the Columbia Gorge.
If you do live in an area prone to landslides or at the base of a steep hill, DOGAMI suggests you stay alert, evacuate if told to do so, listen for unusual sounds, like trees cracking or boulders knocking together and travel with extreme caution. Additional advice is available on the DOGAMI website.