2A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2018 More homes being placed in the path of wildfires Quiet life, higher risk By ASHLEY AHEARN Oregon Public Broadcasting Chris Hopkins moved to Pine Forest for the trees. He was drawn to the hilly, forested community in Washington’s Methow Valley, and decided to build a cabin there in the 1990s, “before we really knew about fire danger,” he said. Then came the Carlton Complex Fire in 2014, which burned more than 250,000 acres just down the valley from Pine Forest. And then the Twisp River Fire the following year. It came even closer to Pine For- est and killed three young fire- fighters. Chris’s brother lost his home in the Carlton Complex, as did more than 300 others. “We had spent most of the day clearing brush but it wasn’t enough,” Hopkins recalled. His brother and sister-in-law had lost power and were in their home with the shades drawn to stay cool when they heard a knock on the door. It was some- one from the U.S. Forest Ser- vice telling them they needed to evacuate immediately. “Sure enough there was a 30-foot wall of flames heading towards them,” Hopkins said. For people like Hopkins and his brother, whose homes strad- dle what’s called the “wild- land-urban interface,” wildfire risk is the new normal, and the risk is increasing as more peo- ple move into places where cul-de-sac meets forest or sagebrush. Heather Dean knows every- one in Pine Forest. She and her husband walk their two dogs twice a day along the dirt roads that weave through the for- AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu A wildfire burns near homes in the Cleveland National Forest in Lake Elsinore, Calif. est. In the winter they snow- shoe and cross-country ski on the extensive trail system that connects Pine Forest with sur- rounding Forest Service land. Fuel to burn Wildfire has always been a part of this dry, forested land- scape — as it has in many parts of the West — but as more peo- ple have moved in the wild- land-urban interface over the past century, federal and state agencies have aggressively suppressed fires that would have otherwise burned at lower intensity and cleared out the underbrush that builds up in a forest over time. “Our biggest problem is that the forest has largely been left to its own for a good chunk of the time that Pine Forest has been here and it’s gotten too overgrown,” Dean explained. Now, when Dean walks through Pine Forest she sees too many trees, too close together with too much undergrowth. The recommended density of this forest is 25 to 30 trees per acre, according to forestry health experts Dean consulted. On some plots in Pine Forest that number is closer to 600. That’s a lot more fuel to burn. But she and others in the community are working to do something about it. Pine Forest residents now pay $350 more in homeowners association dues to cover the cost of thinning the trees in the common areas and along shared roads. The home- owners association contracted with a logging company to give individual property owners the option of paying out of pocket to have extra thinning done on their property if they choose. Dean said that when she bumps into her neighbors on her fre- quent walks she’s been heart- ened by their response. “A lot of people think, I can do this all myself, but then they realize it’s really a lot of work,” she said. “We are much more likely to get it done if we band together and do it.” Dean said that 60 percent of the 135 lots in Pine Forest have now been thinned. “If you can get 60 to 75 percent participa- tion you’ve made a significant reduction in your risk of a large fire, so we’re hopeful.” That risk remains, of course, but by taking the “all for one, one for all” approach, as Dean calls it, the Pine Forest commu- nity has reduced its risk. Fire resilience is a team effort, if you ask wildfire scientists. An individual homeowner can do everything correctly on his or her property, but if a neighbor’s lot has a dense, overgrown for- est, a fire can intensify and spread across the tree canopy to destroy even the best-protected homes nearby. Harm’s way Since 1990, more than 60 percent of new homes in Cal- The contractor for Asto- ria’s 2018 Paving Project has scheduled work for the fol- lowing locations and dates: Tuesday — Cedar Street from 47th to 51st streets; 51st from Cedar to Birch Street; Birch from 51st to 53rd streets; and 53rd from Birch to Ash Street. Wednesday — Irving Ave- nue from 16th to 18th streets; Franklin Avenue from 10th to 12th streets; 11th Street from Duane to Exchange streets; and 15th Street from Duane to Franklin. Thursday — Fourth Street from Niagara Avenue to cul- de-sac; and Fifth Street from McClure to Nehalem avenues. Temporary traffic delays SATURDAY 76 59 71 58 Sun and areas of low clouds Intervals of clouds and sunshine Mostly sunny and nice Clouds and sun with a shower possible ALMANAC REGIONAL WEATHER Shown is tomorrow's weather. Temperatures are tonight's lows and tomorrow's highs. ASTORIA 54/68 Tillamook 52/69 Salem 50/86 Newport 52/63 Sunset tonight ........................... 8:21 p.m. Sunrise Saturday ........................ 6:18 a.m. Moonrise today .......................... 1:39 p.m. Moonset today ................................... none Last Aug 26 Coos Bay 53/68 New Sep 2 Source: Jim Todd, OMSI TOMORROW'S TIDES Astoria / Port Docks Time 1:43 a.m. 1:29 p.m. Low 0.7 ft. 1.9 ft. Hi 85 83 82 86 86 82 94 61 91 81 86 101 87 90 90 90 88 88 93 93 88 94 72 75 94 Today Lo 72 72 69 59 65 68 74 48 79 69 67 84 71 75 81 73 78 74 69 74 72 66 54 56 76 Burns 42/88 ON THE RECORD Klamath Falls 46/89 Lakeview 42/88 Ashland 56/95 Hi 88 86 71 84 65 86 91 81 62 66 Today Lo 46 47 55 50 56 46 55 51 52 52 W c pc pc pc pc pc pc pc s s Hi 90 89 69 87 66 89 94 86 63 66 Sat. Lo 44 50 53 52 55 49 58 55 52 54 W pc pc pc pc c pc pc pc pc s City Olympia Pendleton Portland Roseburg Salem Seaside Spokane Springfi eld Vancouver Yakima Hi 75 91 80 88 82 67 88 84 79 92 Today Lo 48 58 55 55 50 55 59 51 53 53 W pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc Hi 82 91 84 91 86 68 88 88 84 91 Sat. Lo 49 59 58 57 53 54 60 54 56 53 W pc pc pc pc pc c pc pc pc pc TOMORROW'S NATIONAL WEATHER NATIONAL CITIES City Atlanta Boston Chicago Denver Des Moines Detroit El Paso Fairbanks Honolulu Indianapolis Kansas City Las Vegas Los Angeles Memphis Miami Nashville New Orleans New York Oklahoma City Philadelphia St. Louis Salt Lake City San Francisco Seattle Washington, DC Aug. 14, 2018 PETTEFER, Billie Jae, 65, of Wheeler, died in Seaside. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. Ontario 59/93 REGIONAL CITIES City Baker City Bend Brookings Eugene Ilwaco Klamath Falls Medford Newberg Newport North Bend W t pc t pc pc t pc c pc t pc s pc t pc t t t pc t t s pc pc t Hi 85 84 84 83 89 85 94 68 91 83 88 106 86 87 90 86 89 84 87 86 87 88 74 79 89 Sat. Lo 72 66 68 55 68 66 76 46 78 66 69 87 68 75 80 72 76 68 71 72 71 61 54 58 74 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. W t t pc t s pc t pc pc c pc s s t pc t t pc pc c c s pc pc t Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice. Betty Eleanor Vaughn, 85, of Naselle, had a smile on her face. Betty is survived by sister, Francy Penttila; Washington, passed away peacefully at Wil- lapa Harbor Health and Rehab Center in Ray- daughters, Linda Thompson (Tom), of Naselle, mond, Washington, on Aug. 7, 2018. Betty and Judy Heiner (Scott), of Montesano, was born to Gunnar and Eva Nelson Washington; and son, Danny Vaughn on Feb. 3, 1933, in Salmon Creek, (Pam and daughters Amanda and Washington. Morgan) of Naselle; grandchildren, Betty graduated from Naselle Michal Corbin (Derrill), Danielle High School as salutatorian of the Thompson, Jason Heiner (Mandi), Class of 1951. She married Leonard Justin Heiner and Calen Thompson; Vaughn, and the couple made their 11 great-grandchildren; and numer- home in Salmon Creek. ous cousins, nieces and nephews. Betty was a homemaker who Betty was preceded in death by enjoyed family, knitting, crocheting, her husband, Leonard, in 2017; their music, baking, sewing, clamming, Betty Vaughn first-born son, Leonard Dale Vaughn playing cards and camping in their in 1970; and her brother, Roy Nelson. travel trailer. She was musically tal- ented. She enjoyed singing in the A memorial service will be held at choir, and learned to play a variety of musi- Bethany Free Lutheran Church in Astoria, Ore- cal instruments. Betty enjoyed helping those in gon, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15. In lieu of flowers, please give the gift of your need and volunteered at the local food bank. She also worked outside the home for several time. Reach out to those in need, visit a shut-in or nursing home resident. That’s what Betty years. Betty had a strong, unwavering faith in God, would do. Arrangements are in care of Stoller’s Mor- and was a member of Bethany Free Lutheran tuary in Raymond, Washington. You may visit Church. She will be remembered for her kindness. StollersMortuary.com to leave condolences for She was a selfless wife and mother who always the family. DEATH Baker 46/90 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018 Tonight's Sky: Close approach of the waxing cres- cent moon and Jupiter. High 6.1 ft. 7.7 ft. La Grande 48/89 Roseburg 55/91 Brookings 55/71 Sep 9 John Day 53/91 Bend 47/89 Medford 55/94 UNDER THE SKY Time 7:53 a.m. 7:47 p.m. Prineville 44/91 Lebanon 52/87 Eugene 50/87 SUN AND MOON Full Pendleton 58/91 The Dalles 57/92 Portland 55/84 Precipitation Thursday .......................................... 0.00" Month to date ................................... 0.33" Normal month to date ....................... 0.46" Year to date .................................... 36.07" Normal year to date ........................ 37.40" Aug 18 TUESDAY 70 56 Astoria through Thursday. Temperatures High/low ....................................... 67°/58° Normal high/low ........................... 69°/53° Record high ............................ 90° in 1927 Record low ............................. 44° in 1973 First MONDAY 68 53 54 Turning cloudy SUNDAY Economic driver In cash-strapped coun- ties like Okanogan that once depended on logging or mining for jobs and tax revenue, home construction is a major eco- nomic and tax revenue driver. “There’s a whole new cash cow in a lot of communities and that’s residential develop- ment,” said Ray Rasker, exec- utive director of Headwaters Economics. “So when they see a proposal for a new sub- division it’s understandable for county governments to say, eagerly, ‘Let’s approve this because we get more tax reve- nues from that.’” Headwaters Economics has worked with local gov- ernments across the country to provide guidance. Rasker said this is not about halting development because of a perceived risk. It’s about incorporating the growing body of information about wildfire behavior into devel- opment practices. “The sci- ence is there, the knowledge is there, to know how to do it bet- ter than we have in the past,” Rasker said. “We can’t guar- antee that you can 100 percent make a place fireproof but for the most part, in much of the West, you really can say ‘yes’ to development — but under certain conditions.” Naselle, Washington Feb. 3, 1933 — Aug. 7, 2018 and road closures should be expected, and alternate routes should be used where possi- ble. Before work begins, there will be notification of park- ing restrictions. All schedules are subject to change in the event of unfavorable weather conditions. For questions, call Astoria Public Works at 503-338-5173. FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA TONIGHT ing population and business growth — soon after the Carl- ton Complex Fire. There was no mention of wildfire in the document. A revised draft plan makes mention of wildfire risk but does not provide specific guidance on imposing build- ing requirements or prohibiting development in wildfire-prone areas. Hover was not a com- missioner when the plan was developed. Betty Eleanor Vaughn Paving work scheduled in Astoria The Daily Astorian ifornia, Oregon and Wash- ington state were built in the wildland-urban interface. Washington has more homes in the interface than any other state, according to Headwa- ters Economics. The National Academy of Public Adminis- tration predicts a 40 percent increase in homes in the inter- face between 2001 and 2030. Fire destroyed an average of 3,000 homes in the wild- land-urban interface annually over the last decade, according the Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency. And with hotter, drier summers and a longer fire season, experts pre- dict that number to rise. Despite the risk, across much of the rural West, local governments and planning departments are hesitant to pre- vent or hamper development. “I’m not real big on over-regulating people,” said Andy Hover, an Okanogan County commissioner who lives near Pine Forest in the Methow Valley. “You would hope that people, when they buy a piece of property, that they understand what they’re doing when they buy that property.” Hover said it’s the responsi- bility of each individual home- owner, not the entire com- munity, to protect his or her property from fire risk. And it’s not necessarily the job of the county to tell people where and how they develop their prop- erty, in light of that risk. “Rules and regulations are kind of like — well, is that really what we want? It’s a lit- tle more tricky to lay out pol- icy that everybody can get behind,” Hover said. Okanogan County released an updated comprehensive plan — its plan for manag- Assault • At 1:13 p.m. Thursday, Robert Dale Larson, 50, of Seaside, was arrested by the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office on the 84380 block of Nordmark Drive and charged with menacing and harassment. He was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute with a woman. PUBLIC MEETINGS MONDAY Knappa School Board, 5:30 p.m., Knappa High School library, 41535 Old U.S. Highway 30. Astoria City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. LOTTERIES OREGON Thursday’s Pick 4: 1 p.m.: 3-6-2-1 4 p.m.: 7-0-1-1 7 p.m.: 4-1-7-0 10 p.m.: 8-6-3-7 Thursday’s Lucky Lines: 01- 06-12-16-17-24-28-32 Estimated jackpot: $20,000 WASHINGTON Thursday’s Daily Game: The Daily Astorian Established July 1, 1873 (USPS 035-000) Published daily, except Saturday and Sunday, by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503- 325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. 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