A wildfire pushed by strong winds blowing through a gorge destroyed five homes on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River and a sixth closer to the water, authorities said.Residents of a bluff above where the wind-whipped fire started were told Thursday afternoon to leave their...

A wildfire pushed by strong winds blowing through a gorge destroyed five homes on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River and a sixth closer to the water, authorities said.Fifty to 60 other homes were threatened by the blaze that began Thursday near the bottom of...

The original Oregon Trail brought pioneers from the Midwest to the West Coast 150 years ago. But today's travelers are blazing a new Oregon trail, crossing the state for recreational purposes and sampling everything from windsurfing to wine...

The Supreme Court declined Monday to intervene in an unusual case in which a Canadian company was held subject to the U.S. Superfund law for polluting the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest.A federal appeals court last year ruled that Teck Cominco Ltd., based in...

The Columbia River is the most important geological element in Washington. It contributes to the state in terms of recreation, wildlife, and economic stability. All of the rivers that stem off of the Columbia and the Columbia itself are important to not just Washington but the United States. Few other geographical places could equal the contributions that it has made.