DISCOVER

At the edge of the fire-prone eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains, basalt cliffs and ridges known as breaks alter the course of the mighty Columbia River. The Columbia Breaks form a natural boundary between the semi-arid shrub steppe plateau of Eastern Washington and the dense forests of the Cascades. The east side of the Cascades Range has deep-cut canyons, knife-edged ridges, and steep slopes. The middle and lower elevations support a forest of dominant ponderosa pine trees, shrubs, and lush grasses. 

Summers are hot and dry. In the rain shadow of the rugged Cascades, as little as 13 inches of precipitation falls each year.  Cool moist air from the Pacific Ocean rises over the mountains and collides with the warm, dry air of the eastern Washington plateau, creating frequent dry lightning storms….and WILDFIRES! 

This is the setting for Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center, where we share how fire has been a natural occurrence and necessary part of a healthy ecosystem, and where we preserve the history of human interaction with wildfire.