Florence Fire expands, threat to Agness continues

KATU News ^ | August 9, 2002 | no by-line

[WaterDragon]

Grants Pass- U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth said thinning national forests and restoring the natural role of fire in the ecosystem should be made top priority after he toured the largest active wildfire in the nation.

The Florence Fire was threatening to become the largest wildfire in state history after expanding to 308,000 acres on the Siskiyou National Forest and adjoining lands in southwestern Oregon and Northern California.

The largest wildfire in Oregon was the Tillamook Fire in 1933 which burned 311,000 in the northwest corner of the state.

The threat to 17,000 people of the Illinois Valley has eased, but the fire continues to threaten the community of Agness in the Rogue River Canyon and the Wilderness Retreat subdivision east of Brookings.

But winds were increasing Friday, along with the risk the fire could intensify and race down a narrow river canyon towards the coast, said Carol Tucco of the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, which oversees fire management....(snip)

For complete article, click HERE.

[Grampa Dave]

Here is a link to a current thread on this fire and the dangers it presents to Brookings, Oregon and the small California communities along the Smith River in California:(link)

[WaterDragon]

Fifty homes threatened by Hemlock Fire near Oakridge

Oakridge - Predicted warm and windy weather may pose a problem near Oakridge where firefighters are working to contain the Hemlock Fire....(snip)

For the rest of this article, click HERE.

[Granof8]

Looks as if the FC enviro-whackos have done it. The Florence fire was at 331,375 acres this morning, Aug. 9.