Flames force evacuations in The Dalles, (East of Portland, Oregon)

Oregon Live/ AP ^ | 7/26/02 4:04 AM | Flames force evacuations in The Dalles

[jimtorr]

""maybe staying over in Gold Beach. What would be the best route for us from the I-5 to the 101 (either through Northern California or after we cross the border into Oregon)?""

Hmmm, it's almost a "you can't get there from here" scenario once you cross the Oregon border. There isn't a decent route west until Oregon hwy 42, almost to Roseburg. That takes you to Coos Bay, far north of Gold Beach.

You'd be better off crossing to 101 in CA, either hwy 20 from Williams or hwy 299 from Redding. That would be my recommendation. Much more scenic through the mountains before you reach Arcata, just north of Eureka.

Of course, if you're more interested in speed, you'd probably be best going through the SF Bay area.

[Grampa Dave]

I would check the fire status and smoke status before you leave. You can log on the NOAA sites and check out their images for that area before you leave.

Driving up or down I5 with a lot of smoke is not fun and it is dangerous. You have people barreling through from Portland and Kali, and the smoke can be like our fogs.

If it is still smokey in Oregon, I would drive right up 101 and spend the night in Gold Beach or Brookings. Then you can check which cross roads to take that morning.

Maybe Blackie can give you his phone # or call you for an update that morning when you plan to cross over if you go up 101.

Route 38 east or the Drain route from Reedsport is about the best route from the coast to I 5. You should be above most of the fire, but that depends on what's happening two weeks from now.

AuntB can inform you what I5 is like from the Medford area.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this. Another illegal alien in our midst.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I am just finishing an early breakfast, and it is rumbling in the gut after reading here!

[Grampa Dave]

Good news. I'm sure that you will stay on top of it.

Hope your son and his fellow campers stay safe.

Keep us posted.

[Grampa Dave]

If we are still in a high fire danger time, and we will probably be in one in two weeks in California. I would not recommend either 20 or 299. Those roads are very narrow in spots with no way out of the forests/wildlands if a fire starts.

Three years ago from Aug to Sept., 299 was basically closed due to an uncontrolled fire.

It is a great road in the fall to see the colors! However, I would not use it during a fire season.

[Grampa Dave]

A map from kgwtv showing where this blaze, that is threatening the Dalles area, is:

[Grampa Dave]

The latest KGW report notes that this fire is now up over 5,000 acres.

However, everyone can feel safe. The great governor of Oregone Up in Smoke, Kitzngreen, will be visiting that area.



Fire Forces 200 Homes to be Evacuated
07/26/2002

Associated Press


One of Oregon's fastest growing fires expanded to 5,180 acres Friday and forced the mandatory evacuation of 100 homes. Residents of 100 more homes were urged to leave.


The Sheldon Ridge Fire was reportedly 3 1/2 miles southwest of the city and threatening expensive homes in the nearby hills. Residents said thick smoke filled the city.


Winds of up to 35 mph were expected Friday, which could whip up the flames even more, fire officials said.





Gov. John Kitzhaber was expected to arrive in The Dalles on Friday to meet with fire bosses and survey the blaze, which was burning on Oregon Department of Forestry land, said David Widmark, spokesman for the Northwest Interagency Fire Coordination Center.

[Grampa Dave]

"I am just finishing an early breakfast, and it is rumbling in the gut after reading here!"

44 posted on 7/26/02 8:37 AM Pacific by Ernest_at_the_Beach

8:37 is an early breakfast? :)

[Inspectorette]

Driving up or down I5 with a lot of smoke is not fun and it is dangerous. You have people barreling through from Portland and Kali, and the smoke can be like our fogs.

If it is still smokey in Oregon, I would drive right up 101 and spend the night in Gold Beach or Brookings. Then you can check which cross roads to take that morning.

Potential fires off the I-5 in California in two weeks IS becoming a concern - we will monitor the situation,stay in touch with all of you good people and be ready to head on up the 101 all the way to Gold Beach. We wouldn't even mind driving all the way up the Coast as far as Lincoln City, then east on Highway 18, except that it is so much slower and the wedding is at 4:00 Saturday.

We got caught Christmas of '92 heading home when the I-5 was closed because of snow from Ashland to Redding, and had to take the 101 all the way home. Slick, slippery, and scary all the way to Ukiah.

Then, this past Thanksgiving, we left Grants Pass Saturday morning at 0600 (having driven from Orcas Island, WA the day before) and it was raining. By the time we got to Ashland, there were semis stuck all over the I-5 on the mountain. Once finally south of the Oregon border, no snowplows because it was a weekend. We didn't get to Redding until 1100. On a trucker's advice we got off the I-5 at Henley, and took the Klamath River Highway into Yreka. Thank goodness for him, saved us a lot of grief, but it was still a mess all the way to Mountain Gate, likewise for the Northbound.

Mr. Inspectorette looked at it as an adventure and fell in love all over again with his Dodge Durango; I was white knuckles all the way ;-)

[EBUCK]

Oh, I see how it is.

The fire was reportedly a few miles southwest of the city and threatening expensive homes in the nearby hills.

Take a threat to an expensive community for the gov to call in the reserves. Soem of his donors must live there.

EBUCK

[Grampa Dave]

You posted, "We got caught Christmas of '92 heading home when the I-5 was closed because of snow from Ashland to Redding, and had to take the 101 all the way home. Slick, slippery, and scary all the way to Ukiah."

We got caught in a few of those at Christmas time. One time we actually barely made it from Portland down I5 to where it was closed and went to Newport for 3 unplanned days.

Then, we drove a hell trip in snow, rain and floods until we got to Willets. Scary! That was on New Year's Eve. We got one of the last motel rooms in Willets, and the clerk called the Taco Bell to keep them open for us and a few others. Nothing else open.

My poor wife had a new dress for New Years and wanted a nice dinner. I told her that we were lucky to get to eat at Taco Bell. She agreed and the food was good. We had eaten at Brookings and it was close to 10pm, and we were starved.

After that we told our son in Portland, we would pay to fly him down for Christmas, we were too old for winter trips up and down I5.

[Grampa Dave]

He knows that he has very few voters where the fires were at first. The closer to Oregon, the more voters and green enviral card carriers live.

[B Knotts]

Normally, you'd take U.S. 199 from Crescent City to Grants Pass (actually, I usually bypass the first few miles of 199 via Calif.-197).

However, right now, you've got quite a conflagration in the Illinois Valley.

If I were you, and wanted to avoid any smoky areas, I'd stick to the coast as far as Newport, and then cross over to I-5 via U.S. 20 through Corvallis. Ore.-34 is a bit shorter out of Waldport, but the road is not as good.

Ore.-18 from Lincoln City is a faster, more direct route, but on weekends, the traffic is very heavy, and you have to go through congested suburbs to get to the freeway.

[EBUCK]

I'd take the 101 all the way up. Probably a bit slower but if you are on it early you won't have to deal with the smoke nor to much traffic. Then take hwy 20 East from Newport to Albany, then North on I-5 then take the 205 into Washington. Just my opinion but I'd try to stay as far west as I could thru southern Oregon. Have a good safe trip.

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

Beat me by 5 minutes! I obviously agree with your route.

EBUCK

[EBUCK]

Take hwy 34 out of Corvallis to I-5 instead of taking 20 all the way to Albany. Mush faster....per B. Knotts

EBUCK

[B Knotts]

Great minds think alike! :-)

[Grampa Dave]

Well, I'm out of here for the day. I'm going fishing, actually out to try my new Spey Rod before Kali starts to burn all over.

Take care and I leave everyone with this simple Just Do It message re Ebuck's great new bumper sticker:

Do you despise what Tommy Da$$hole and other enviral rat senators have done to America re the fire potential in our forests?

Are you tired of the Green Enviral Terrorists endangering your homes, your families, the homes of your friends and the lives of your friends with their anti human agendas?

Well do something about it!

Here is something that every Freeper in America can do today that will help get our message out that enough is enough from these Green Eco Terrorists who hate America and Americas!

Just do it!

Order some of these stickers from EBUCK. Then, send stickers to Da$$hole and other enviral senators. This will let them know that we know who is responsible for these out of control fires, them! The a$$hole governor from Oregon should receive about 1,000 of these stickers from all over America!

Then send stickers to our good guys and gals in congress and as governors who are fighting these enviral scumbags.

Invest $10 and buy 5 stickers. Put them on your SUV/pickup/gas guzzler's bumper and let the world know why we are having fires.

These fires are not just a problem of the west. If you have forests in your state, you have the same problem thanks to Tommy Da$$hole and his enviral buddies!

The incestual link between rat senators up for reelection this November and the vile enviralists can cost them their election. Please buy some of these sticker and use them.

Here is the opportunity for all good Freepers to get into the face of the enviral fascists who have put a large part of our nation into the peril of becoming a flaming tinderbox.

Ebuck has created a great bumpersticker to put the blame on these clymers as we drive our SUV's and pickups. (Link to EBuck's Sticker and how to buy them) (link to EBuck's Sticker and how to buy them)

As that ad says, "Just Do It!" Freepmail or email EBuck now and let him know how many stickers you want and that a check from you is on the way.

The home you save from burning may be yours, a relatives, a friends or even one of our homes, your extended Freeper Family.

Please send this reply to your bump lists so more Freepers will be aware of this National Clear and Present Danger, due to these Eco Terrorists.

Just do it!

[Inspectorette]

After that we told our son in Portland, we would pay to fly him down for Christmas, we were too old for winter trips up and down I5.

LOL - I can relate. One upshot of our trip last Thanksgiving was that we originally were going to fly to Seattle, but cancelled due to all the airport craziness after September 11 - figured, what the heck, we've driven up lots of times.

Grampa, Bknotts, EBUCK - thanks for the advice. We may end up doing just that - 101 all the way to Newport. I just hope there's something left of Oregon by the time we go :-(