Daisy Hill Fire too close for comfort
100-acre wildfire burns structures; causes evacuation of 30 residents
One of the structures on Daisy Hill Road at the end of West River Street destroyed by fire in Cave Junction. Related photos on page 7 and 8. (Photo by Steve Fairchild)
By BRITT FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
Cave Junction got its
first major taste of fire sea-
son on Sunday, June 29
when it was hit by a costly
100-acre blaze that primar-
ily consumed trees, grass
and brush.
The fire is being called
the Daisy Hill Fire. It
burned a residence at 580
W. River St.; a camp trailer
serving as a residence and a
shop at 1000 Daisy Hill
Road; and two other out-
buildings. Plus it sent
nearby residents to seek
temporary shelter. No inju-
ries were reported.
The fire began at the
west end of Schumacher
Street near Pomeroy Dam,
according to Joe Feldhaus,
Illinois Valley Rural Fire
Protection
District
(IVRFPD) division chief.
Winds estimated between
15-20 mph rapidly carried
the flames northwest to
Daisy Hill Road at the end
of West River Street.
Feldhaus said that
IVRFPD responded to its
first call, from a resident
on Daisy Hill Road, at
3:45 p.m.
The cause of the fire is
under investigation by
Oregon Dept. of Forestry.
Initial reports stated
that two young people
were seen leaving the area
where the fire started. But
that has not been con-
Help save
history, be
a volunteer
By BRITT FAIRCHILD
Staff Writer
While it might seem
otherwise, operating a mu-
seum requires a lot of time
and money.
The Kerbyville Mu-
seum needs more of both.
“Our biggest problem
is we just don’t have
enough volunteers,” said
Peggy Porretta, museum
board member and volun-
teer.
Including she and her
husband, Byron Porretta,
museum board president,
there are just eight people
currently working at the
museum.
And only about half
are able to either volunteer
several hours each week or
do manual labor such as
lifting and moving things.
Byron noted that
someone from the Job
Council recently began
working at the museum 30
hours per week and will
likely help maintain the
grounds -- one of several
firmed.
“State forestry and
Oregon State Police are on
the ground as we speak
trying to figure it out,”
Feldhaus said Tuesday
morning, July 1.
Units from Grants Pass
Fire and Rescue, Rural/
Metro Fire Dept., ODF,
U.S. Forest Service and
two task forces from Jack-
son County and Josephine
County Sheriff’s Office
also responded.
Approximately 25 fire-
fighters, including crews
from Grayback Forestry,
battled the blaze with three
engines, four water ten-
ders, two brush trucks, a
retardant bomber, and a
helicopter.
A number of citizens
joined fire crews to fight
the flames on Daisy Hill
Road, where James Pruner
lost his home.
West River Street resi-
dents Mike Dougherty and
Gilbert Van Tassel
grabbed a rake and shovel
to try and stop the en-
croaching fire that had
already engulfed Ora Mae
Meyer’s house at 580 W.
River St.
“We could see the
flames from our door,”
Dougherty said.
They assisted fire-
fighters for nearly two
hours.
“I just wanted to
(Continued on page 7)
Valley alumni come home for bash
Numerous gatherings set for reunion during July Fourth weekend
Peggy and Byron Porretta (Photo by Britt Fairchild)
tasks fallen to the wayside
lately -- among other tasks.
That will help, yet
there are other behind-the-
scene jobs that could use
some extra hands too.
Peggy said she would
love to have the stacks of
old photos that are still in
boxes in a storage closet
organized, or the various
china collections identified
and dated, for example.
Someone to do historical
research would be a dream.
“I don’t have any vol-
unteers to do these things,”
she said. “We know there
is a lot of talent out there.”
As it is, she’s already
at the museum at least
three days a week or more
now that the museum is
open five days a week.
Byron, who along with his
wife, have been involved
with the museum for four
years, also spends many
hours there each week
when he isn’t at work.
“We would love to
open it (the museum)
(Continued on page 4)
While some in Cave
Junction will celebrate the
Fourth of July with spar-
klers and snakes, others
plan to spend the weekend
catching up with old
friends and reminiscing
about high school.
“Reunionmania” for
the Illinois Valley High
School Classes of 1953,
1958, 1963, 1973, 1978,
1983, 1988, 1993, and
maybe 1968, as well as all
IVHS and Kerby Union
High School alumni and
friends, begins on Friday,
July 4 with an Annual
Meeting at 4 p.m. at Jubi-
lee Park Pavilion.
A ‘Pro wlers vs.
Growlers’ softball game
will follow at 5:30 p.m.
On Saturday, July 5
the 16th annual golf tour-
nament will begin at the
I.V. Golf Club at 8 a.m. A
tour of Lorna Byrne Mid-
dle School, the former
IVHS, is planned at 2 p.m.
Perhaps the most an-
ticipated event of the
weekend, which com-
memorates the Class of
’53’s 50th reunion, will be
the “50s Bash” dinner and
dance at the Junction Inn
Saturday night.
Dinner for those who
have made reservations,
will be served from 5:30 to
8:30 p.m. Dancing to the
music of “Roadmasters”
will begin at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets will be available at
the door for those only
attending the dance.
Sunday morning, July
6 will greet alumni and
their friends and families
with a breakfast put on by
Cave Junction Cares from
8 to 11 a.m. at Jubilee Park
Pavilion. An alumni picnic
and silent auction will fol-
low breakfast and last until
approximately 4 p.m.
Along with activities
planned for all alumni,
each reunion class also has
its own special events
scheduled during the
weekend.
For more information
about reunion weekend,
phone 592-2293.
-Britt Fairchild
REPEAT WINNER - Chuck and Betty Mathis of Rose-
burg won ‘Best of Show’ honors and more with their
1951 Mercury at the fifth annual Show N’ Shine at Jubi-
lee Park in Cave Junction on Saturday, June 28. The
event was sponsored by Cave Junction Lions Club.
(Photo by Joe Malcolm, related photos page 8)