[Grampa Dave]

Apparently they started the backfires yesterday evening after the winds died down.

Hopefully this will work.

Finding updated news, this morning is lean. Most of the agencies don't put up new data until 10 AM.

Again, all locals are requested to post what they hear on their local radio stations or see.

[dixiechick2000]

Good morning, Gramps.
The news last night said the wind will be picking up today.
They also had a piece on how the fires are named. They name the fire after the place where the fire started. It's been confusing...Florence is on the coast about 125 miles from where the Florence fire is located.
Just a bit of trivia to get your morning started. ;o)

[Grampa Dave]

This is it re an update.

Hopefully these backfires will work and not back fire on them.

All locals, please post whatever you hear on your local radio stations or what you see and observe personally.

Most the data is thin until about 10 am.

[Grampa Dave]

This is the number 1 fire in the United States at this time with 17,000 innocents in harms way.

Those of the 17,000 who haven't left the Illinois River Valley area yet are on a 30 minute warning basis. If the the evacuation is called, they have 30 minutes to get out of there.

Lets pray that the back fires will work, and that these 17,000 people didn't wait too long to get out of there.

Those with the magic pinger lists, please ping this.

[Mudboy Slim]

Happy August First, Grampa...MUD

[lds23]

Prayers being said. Keep safe!

[Grampa Dave]

A ping for those of you fighting the Green Demons from Hell in your areas.

[Inspectorette]

Hoaxers pretending to be civilians deputized by the Josephine County sheriff's department have been knocking on doors telling residents to leave immediately

This is monstrous - vermin getting people to leave so they can loot their homes! I guess it's a sign of the times, isn't it. Anytime there's a disaster, the scum of the earth finds a way to profit from other people's misery.

Grampa, thank you - you're doing a wonderful job keeping us up to the minute. A lot of people that I work with were born and raised in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (as was Mr. Inspectorette - Camas, WA). They all still have family up there, and the concern is great.

[Grampa Dave]

The link below is the Weather Link for the Kalmiopsis Wilderness area. The temps are on the side of the firefighter with increase humidity. However, there could be gusts of wind from the North at 49 miles this afternoon. That could get dicey: (Link to Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area Weather Forecast)

[madfly]

ping

[madfly]

bttt

[Granof8]

(time should probably be 08:00 AM August 1)

Fire Information Update
Florence Fire
Thursday, August 1, 2002 08:00 pm
Fire Information Center: (541) 592-1029


Status: 150,000 acres Start: July 13, 2002 Cause: Lightning storm
Location: 5 miles west of Selma, Oregon on the Siskiyou National Forest within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.
Percent Contained: 5 percent Cost to date: $6 million Line to Build: 61 miles
Structures Lost: 3 residences and 8 outbuildings
Personnel: 1,500 total personnel Injuries: None Expected Containment: Unknown
Today’s Resources: 15 helicopters (5 Type-1, 6-Type-2 and 4-Type 3), 31-handcrews (9-Type 1 and 30-Type 2), 84 engines, 12 water tenders, 27 dozers. In addition 7 structural task forces (110 people) from all over the state are providing fire protection to residences within the fire area and along Highway 199.
At Risk: Portions of Cave Junction, Kerby, Agness, Gardner Ranch and Selma, private residences in the Oak Flat area and McCaleb Ranch, private inholdings east of McCaleb Ranch, Late Successional Reserve, Illinois and Rogue National Wild and Scenic River, campgrounds.
Closures: Galice and Illinois Valley Ranger Districts on the Siskiyou National Forest west of State Highway 199 is closed to all public access due to extreme fire conditions. The Bear Camp road #2300 is exempt from this closure.
Cooperating Agencies: Oregon Department of Forestry; Oregon National Guard; Illinois Valley Fire District; Oregon State Police; Josephine County Sheriff’s Dept; American Red Cross; Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office; U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; Josephine County Emergency Operations Center.

What’s New: Burnout operations between Hwy 199 and the fire began last night and will continue today. Winds from the north should keep smoke out of the valley until a wind shift mid-afternoon when fire activity is expected to increase. There is a possibility for plume development later in the day. The Red Flag Warning for today has been cancelled.

Firefighters today are continuing to construct and reinforce fire line on the east flank of the fire, west of Illinois Valley communities. The fire has moved to within four miles of Game Lake on the west flank, to Silver Peak on the north flank, to within five miles of Selma and Cave Junction on the east flank and to Chetco Peak on the south flank. Dozer and hand lines have been established along the eastern flank from the Chrome Ridge Road, north of Selma, to the California border.

There will be a public meeting tonight at 7pm at the Illinois Valley High School Baseball Field in Cave Junction.

The entire Illinois River Valley is now under a 30-minute evacuation notice. Structural and wildland fire resources have been positioned to protect residences in the valley. The communities of Agness, Gold Beach, and Brookings are not currently at imminent risk.

The Joki Type 2 Team is stationed at Gold Beach on the West Florence Fire. The Bennett Type 1 Team has joined the Broyles Type 2 Team on the Sour Biscuit.

A Red Cross shelter has been opened in Grants Pass at the South Middle School (541-890-0612).

Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 2
Mike Lohrey, Incident Commander

[EBUCK]

Nothing new to report SIR!

EBUCK

[AuntB]

In the midst of all this smoke, PLEASE don't forget the following bill being pushed (in silence) through congress to end ALL logging on national forests. Please contact your reps!! Especially LEACH! I understand "Arab money McKinney", but what is up with Leach. All the enviro's are pushing this iniative in letters to editors, TV and radio every day. We mush let them know what we think...because they are!! Remember, those who show up run the world.......

From Ms. McKinney's home site:http://www.house.gov/mckinney/hl/nfppa.htm

The National Forest Protection and Restoration Act (HR 1396)

One-hundred and one years ago, in 1897, Congress made a very unwise decision. A rider was attached to the Interior Appropriations bill, opening national forests to timber sales for the first time. Before that they were protected. The result has been habitat destruction, agency corruption and lawlessness, floods, mudslides and enormous losses to taxpayers. In 1990, National Geographic estimated that over 95% of America's old-growth forests have been cut down and hauled to the mill. More recent reports estimate that 97% has been logged. If we do not act now, soon our children and grandchildren may have little or no opportunity to visit these pristine areas. Furthermore, according to an independent study, later deemed accurate by the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Forest Service spent $791 million in taxpayer dollars to subsidize timber companies in their efforts to destroy our natural heritage. Not one dollar was returned to the treasury.

In an effort to stop this environmentally destructive and fiscally irresponsible practice, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Congressman Leach (R-IA) introduced the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act (HR 2789). This important legislation would stop logging on the national forests, and redirect these subsidies into worker retraining, revenue-sharing payments for counties, and grants for development of tree-free paper and construction alternatives.

The National Forest Protection and Restoration Act makes perfect economic, as well as environmental sense. By no longer subsidizing the logging industry, we could provide more than $25,000 in worker retraining for each public lands timber employee and still have more than $200 million left over to reduce the federal deficit in the first year alone. By stopping logging in national forests, these areas could be used for recreational use. The United States Forest Service reported that the recreational industry provides 30 times as many jobs and 30 times as much income as logging. So, converting these areas to recreational use would not only preserve them, but would contribute to the growing popularity of camping, hiking, hunting and fishing.