Posted on 07/22/2002 3:25:14 PM PDT by Grampa Dave
Kitzhaber Tours Fire Scenes, Guardsmen Arrive 07/22/2002
By kgw.com and AP Staff
updated @ 3:20 p.m.
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, conducting an aerial tour of Oregon's wildfires Monday afternoon, praised a group of property owners for taking steps to keep their homes from burning in the midst of the devastating Squire Peak Fire.
Not one home around the community of Ruch was lost in the fire, although four outbuildings were destroyed. That fire was now 95 percent contained.
Gov. Kitzhaber talks with folks in Ruch about fire conditions. (KGW Photo) Kitzhaber also said this year's early and devastating fires show that the federal government needs to make a bigger committment toward making forests healthy and less vulnerable to annual wildfires.
As the governor toured fire zones in the south, firefighters faced more lightning and erratic winds on Monday as help arrived from Oregon National Guard troops.
Lightning storms were forecast to move up from Mount Shasta in Northern California into the Summer Lake Basin where the Winter and Toolbox fires have burned together to cover 92,000 acres of Fremont National Forest and neighboring private ranchland and timberland.
Firefighter Don Johnson, of Lakeside, Ariz., hauls fire hoses back to trucks after the north end of the Winter fire crossed the line Sunday.
A convoy of 250 Oregon National Guard troops arrived Monday fresh from firefighting training to begin taking over mop-up duties on the Winter Fire, Oregon Department of Forestry spokesman Tom Berglund said.
"You really have to keep your eyes wide open and know what to look for," said guardswoman Tonya Frazier, as she geared-up and preapared to be deployed at the fire scene.
Kitzhaber took off by Blackhawk helicopter for the embattled Winter Fire area, after his stop in Ruch.
The Winter Fire was 40 percent contained at 31,100 acres, with full containment forecast for Thursday at 35,000 acres. The Tool Box Fire stood at 59,160 acres, and was also about 40 percent contained. There was no forecast for full containment.
Fires were taking a toll on farm communities across the state.
Fire Burns Ranch
Last week the fire burned wire-to-wire through Dan Napier's Winter Ridge Ranch, where he raises Tennessee walking horses in the narrow band of flat land between Winter Ridge and Summer Lake. And on Monday, he was calling seed dealers as far away as Madras to find grass to stabilize the hillsides against fall and winter rains.
"This thing isn't over for us yet," he said. "The danger of erosion is so great."
Napier lost a hay barn, tack room and a shop when the fire blew through his ranch last week, but he managed to get his horses to safety with the help of neighbors. They won't be able to come back until he repairs burned fences.
The Winter Fire pushed out a bulge on the southwest flank into stands of beetle-killed timber on the Fremont National Forest Sunday and advanced on its north flank along the narrow face of Winter Ridge.
Flames March Across Ridge
Helicopters made continuous water drops on the steep face of the ridge where the flames marched through Ponderosa pine and mountain mahogany.
Firefighters have already contended with strong winds, high temperatures and shorts in a high-tension power line caused by smoke in the air.
The blue bolts of electricity arced from the Bonneville Power Administration lines to the ground, and have killed several cows at the Winter and Toolbox complex. Firefighters don't go near the lines.
The expected storm could spark new fires and force authorities to draw crews off the major blazes, said David Widmark, a spokesman at Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland.
"What happens with the weather will tell us what the rest of the week will look like for fire behavior," Widmark said.
Winter and Toolbox Merge
related stories
State's Fire Insurance Now a Bargain California Fire Forces Evacuation Strong Winds Drive Washington Fire The Winter and Toolbox fires burned together Saturday and now have a leading edge about a mile across, burning over rolling hills between Summer and Silver lakes in the high desert.
Fire officials dispatched another 800 firefighters to the blaze Sunday, bringing the total force on site to about 2,000 people.
Fire management was also upgraded Sunday to a Type I team of national fire experts, Widmark said.
The fire was the second largest in the country, trailing only the Rattle complex burning in a remote part of Utah, and was about 15 percent contained Sunday, Widmark said.
A voluntary evacuation order remained in effect for the 60 homes near Summer Lake. Several homes in the Silver Lake area also were threatened, he said.
He said there are about 25 fires in Oregon that the center considers major.
25 Major Fires in Oregon
The 25 major fires along with hundreds of small flare-ups were burning on a total of 225,000 acres in central, southern and eastern Oregon on Monday.
In southern Oregon, the Roseburg complex of fires had burned more than 3,000 acres by Sunday in the Umpqua National Forest southeast of Roseburg. Of the 24 small fires in the complex, three were not being fought on Sunday because of their remote location, Widmark said.
Officials reported two small new fires Sunday.
The Lost Lake fire, started by lightning, burned 224 acres on state land 12 miles east of Medford. The Sheep Rock fire burned 500 acres two miles northeast of Riverside.
Officials on Sunday evacuated the Umpqua Creek Pow-wow grounds in the Boulder Creek/Jackson Creek area.
Several major wildfires were burning on about 225,452 acres in Oregon as of Monday morning. About 8,640 firefighters are working in the state:
WINTER-TOOLBOX FIRES
Started: in Lake County 07/12/02 and merged Saturday.
Size: 91,260 acres
Containment: 40 percent
Evacuations: Voluntary evacuations of 65 homes.
Damage: No.
On scene: 1,981 firefighters
Cause: Lightning.
EYERLY FIRE
Started: 15 miles NE of Camp Sherman, 07/09/02.
Size: 23,204 acres.
Containment: 70 percent.
Evacuations: None.
Damage: 18 houses destroyed.
On scene: 1,026 firefighters
Cause: Lightning.
MALHEUR COMPLEX
Started: 8-25 miles from Prairie City, 07/12/02.
Size: 8,211 acres.
Containment: 20 percent.
Evacuations: None; 50 residences are threatened, and 10 commercial properties, and 184 outbuildings.
Damage: None.
On scene: 833 firefighters
Cause: Lightning
TILLER COMPLEX
Started: Outside Tiller, east of Canyonville off Interstate 5, 07/12/02.
Size: 3,600 acres.
Containment: 6 percent
Evacuations: South Umpqua pow-wow grounds, all camp areas above Mile Marker 11 on the South Umpqua River.
Damage: Unknown.
On scene: 816 firefighters
Cause: Lightning.
FLAGTAIL FIRE
Started: 13 miles west of Seneca, 07/15/02
Size: 7,600 acres.
Containment: 55 percent
Evacuations: None
Damage: Part of Bear Valley Work Center destroyed, one home destroyed, one outbuilding destroyed.
On scene: 560 firefighters.
Cause: Lightning.
NORTH UMPQUA COMPLEX
Started: 25 miles east of Glide, 07/12/02.
Size: 600 acres.
Containment:20 percent.
Evacuations: 20 residences threatened
Damage: one commercial property and ten outbuildings.
On Scene: 385 firefighters
Cause: Lightning.
MONUMENT FIRE
Started: 9 miles southwest of Unity, 07/12/02
Size: 24,700 acres
Containment: 30 percent.
Evacuations: 75 residences threatened, plus five commercial buildings and ten outbuildings.
Damage: Unknown.
On Scene: 724 firefighters, military battalion scheduled to arrive today
Cause: Lightning.
GRIZZLY FIRE
Started: 15 miles west of Lakeview.
Size: 6,050 acres.
Containment: 60 percent.
Evacuations: RV Park threatened. Cottonwood Meadows Lake campground and group camp area is closed.
Damage: Unknown.
On scene: 338 firefighters.
Cause: Lightning.
747 FIRE
Started: Northeast of Paulina in Black Canyon Wilderness, 07/13/22.
Size: 10,630 acres
Containment: 20 percent.
Evacuations: None.
Damage: Road closures.
On scene: 357 firefighters.
Cause: Lightning.
BISCUIT FIRE
Started: 17 miles southwest of Cave Junction, 07/13/02. requesting a type one team
Size: 4,840 acres
Containment: zero percent.
Evacuations: None.
Damage: Unknown, but a wildnerness area is threatened.
On scene: 564 firefighters.
Cause: Lightning.
ROSEBURG COMPLEX
Started: outside of Roseburg, 07/12/02
Size: 700 acres.
Containment: 100 percent.
Evacuations: None.
Damage: Unknown.
On Scene: 168 firefighters.
Cause: Lightning.
LOST LAKE FIRE
Started: 7/13/02, 12 miles east of Medford
Size: 224 acres
Containment: 95 percent
Evacuations: None
Damage: mature conifers
On scene: 117 firefighters
Cause: Lightning
SHEEP ROCK FIRE
Started: 7/20/02, two miles northeast of Riverside, Ore.
Size: 700 acres
Containment: 50 percent
Evacuations: none
Damage: none
On Scene: 70 firefighters
Cause: lightning
NOTES: fire is exhibiting erratic behavior
LAVA FIRE:
Started: 7/13/02, 15 miles north/northwest of Christmas Valley,Ore.
Size: 400 acres
Containment: zero percent
Evacuations: Unknown, possible structures national forest land
Demage: Unknown
On scene: 2 people
Cause: lightning
----
Source: The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Online at: http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_0722_news_wildfire_roundup.155088a0.html
Prepared by: Southwick Associates for the: Oregon Natural Resources Council (ONRC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
ONRC Press Release 09/07/00: Economic Health is Tied to Wilderness and National Monument Protection
New report shows community economic health is associated with roadless and protected lands August 15, 2000 Acknowledgements
This study was produced by Southwick Associates for the Oregon Natural Resources Council (ONRC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The primary author was Dr. Paul Lorah with co-authorship provided by Rob Southwick. Professional comments and critical review were provided by Dr. John Bergstrom of the University of Georgia, Dr. Rebecca Johnson of Oregon State University, Dr. John Loomis of Colorado State University, and Ernie Niemi of ECONorthwest. The authors wish to thank the many who provided invaluable assistance including Ken Rait and Tim Lillebo of the ONRC; Dr. Dominick Della Sala and Dale Hile of the WWF, and Pete Morton of The Wilderness Society. Special thanks also goes to Tom Sadler of Two Dogs Trading Company. Despite the countless people who assisted in this study, the authors remain solely responsible for all content herein.
Executive Summary The purpose of this study is to help improve understanding of the relationship between economic growth and protection of roadless lands. This was accomplished using historical data regarding the economic experience of individual western and Oregon counties. By looking to the past to see how county economies were affected by the creation of wilderness areas, we gain a better understanding of how future roadless designations might affect Oregon counties. Similarly, by investigating the relationship between protected areas (wilderness, national parks and national monuments) and local economies, we can find whether limiting extractive activities on public lands limits county-level economic growth.
The issues that were examined and the major results are as follows:
In Oregon, the relationship between the environment and the economy is changing. Industries that extract raw materials are stagnating, while industries that benefit from the presence of environmental amenities are growing rapidly.
If economic sectors benefiting from environmental amenities are more important sources of economic growth than extractive industries, then the presence of roadless areas and wilderness, national parks and national monuments should not harm local economies. In fact, in the eleven western states including Oregon, the presence of protected lands (wilderness, national parks, and national monuments) and roadless areas is associated with income and employment growth:
<>Now for the Cluster Bohica summary:The cluster analysis test indicates that the presence of Forest Service roadless or protected areas is not correlated with slower income or employment growth in any of the county clusters. This means that the statistical test could not find any indication that roadless or protected areas have caused county economies to grow slower. Instead, there is evidence that for some county types the presence of roadless areas is correlated with income and employment growth. ------------------------------------------------------------
Folks this is the Enviral Bravo Sierra that has led to Oregon's high rate of recession, companies leaving Oregon and the fire situation in the forests and other areas.
The answer is not higher employment when you stop roads into areas and make these forests/lands into Druid Cathedrals where no one can enter. The end result are the fires that we are seeing now and the incredible recession and unemployment that Oregon having due to this enviral Bravo Sierra stuff of closing roads and no lumber or ore businesses.
LAVA FIRE: Size: 400 acres Containment: zero percent On scene: 2 people
What's up with that?
Stop the attacks by the wacko, extreme left-wing, enviro-nazis terrorist's on our Freedoms !!
Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!
Molon Labe !!
WRT the high-tension power lines and their propensity to arc in smoke; why wasn't Bonneville told to shut down the lines? Those arcs are just as likely to start more fires as lightning if not moreso, as they would have more repetitive arcs to the same area.
Thanks for keeping us abreast of these fires and conditions.
Ping. You guys need to read through this thread.
Of course, these resources could have been better spent managing the forests in fire prevention, but we can thank the left-wing f****rs for that...
Pardon my French ;0)
Stop Rural Cleansing!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.