Replies

"Environmentalism was hijacked," he said. "The original people in the movement could arguably claim to be the largest grass-roots movement in America, and one of the greatest. People joined together to do good. Then they made a crucial and critical mistake: They gave power - unchecked power - to their leaders.
"We allow the Enviros to write critical legislation. We elected many to the House and Senate who just blindly accepted that what the Enviros were doing was good. Now we're unwilling to examine what the Enviros say and do to see if it is flawed.
"It is one thing for the Enviros to say, 'We are going to do good,' but if what they do creates profoundly negative impacts on the habitat and turns out to be unconstitutional, it is proof that the power handed to their leaders has corrupted them.

"Right now, taxpayers are paying for 'Green Bureau-babble,' which equates to power. The people who come up with these ideas are power perverts. They don't want to stand for election. They want the power without the responsibility. These people are a perversion of the republic."

Thank you, backhoe! What a refreshing article.

Florence Fire Grows: Biggest in Century

08/10/2002

By AP Staff

Gusty winds remained a threat Saturday to fire crews struggling to contain what has become Oregon's largest wildfire in over a century.

In Curry County, a pre-evacuation notice was posted to make sure residents are ready to leave on a moment's notice if the Florence Fire -- which had grown to 333,891 acres by Saturday morning -- moved closer to a few dozen homes scattered along river canyons near the ocean in the southwest corner of Oregon.

A helicopter fights the Florence Fire near Agness. (AP Photo)

"This does not mean that residents are asked to leave, but that each resident is prepared to leave immediately if notified," Curry County Sheriff Kent Owens said Friday.

A voluntary evacuation advisory remained in effect in Gasquet, Calif., at the fire's southern end, which has a population of about 800 people. The blaze jumped a fire line near there Thursday.

The blaze is now larger than the 1933 Tillamook Fire, which burned 311,000 acres. There are indications some 19th century fires may have covered more ground, however. National forest management did not begin until after the Forest Service was established in the 1890s.

Gusty winds and low humidity, which became a concern on Friday, remained an issue Saturday, said Carol Tocco of the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, which oversees fire management. The blaze is about 25 percent contained, she said.

More than 6,000 firefighters are at the blaze, which covers more than 460 square miles in southwest Oregon and Northern California. Although favorable weather limited the fire's advance in the Agness area, east winds gusting to 40 mph and temperatures in the 90s gave the blaze new vigor in the steep hills and valleys east of Brookings near the California border.

"Unfortunately, this thing is getting ready to blow up," Owens said Friday. "It's been sort of idling the last few days. But with the wind change, it could go into high gear."

Some area residents have already moved their families out, but others said they would stay with their homes as falling ash sprinkled on cars.

Bob Wilhite said he's been building his house for two years and is still doing some finishing work. "I'm not gonna pick up and leave now," he said. "These guys seem pretty good at what they do."

Normally the Chetco River Inn would be packed with guests this time of year, but the bed-and-breakfast in the rugged hills 15 miles east of Brookings is empty.

Co-owner Sandra Brugger said she hasn't had a paying guest in two weeks, ever since the Florence fire prompted officials to close the road leading to the inn and the community of Wilderness Retreat two weeks ago.

Crews strung fire hose from the Chetco River up to, over and around Wilderness Retreat homes. A series of portable pumps sends river water through the hoses to the sprinklers that douse the houses and nearby land. For houses too far from the river, they'll feed the sprinklers with tanker truck water.

About 50 houses in all have been rigged with sprinklers and are being wetted down a couple of hours a day.

On fire lines in the Illinois River Valley to the east, fire crews tried out the PHF 20T, a converted 1960s German military tank, to help put out hot spots that could spring up around the perimeter of the Florence Fire.

Built in Germany and distributed in the United States by the Texas-based Texoga company, the tank has been extensively converted for fire protection purposes. It is equipped with a 5,000-gallon water storage tank and a nozzle capable of launching 200 to 500 gallons of water every minute from a turret at its front.

A large adjustable dozer-blade also extends off the front, allowing drivers to dig or reinforce fire lines.

"We tested it for a week in Nevada and it goes great. I tried to find some place it couldn't go and something it couldn't go over -- I couldn't find it," said Jes Webb, a fire information officer.