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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 2015)
REGION Tuesday, June 30, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3A Hot weather prompts forest use restrictions Regulations to limit KXPDQFDXVHGZLOG¿UHV /ightning sparNs ¿res on Umatilla forest By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian With summer camping season beckoning families outdoors, forests across northeast Oregon have started limiting certain activities to minimize the risk of KXPDQFDXVHGZLOG¿UHV The Umatilla National Forest entered Phase A of its public XVH UHVWULFWLRQV 0RQGD\ DV ¿UH- ¿JKWHUV EDWWOHG QXPHURXV OLJKW- QLQJVSDUNHG¿UHVRQWKH+HSSQHU Walla Walla and Pomeroy ranger districts. Phase A is the second level of restrictions implemented by the Forest Service when the ¿UH GDQJHU LV PRGHUDWH WR KLJK Restrictions include no chainsaws between 1-8 p.m.; no off-road or off-trail vehicle travel; and no smoking except in vehicles, buildings, developed recreation sites and cleared areas. Texas Fire: Located on the Heppner Ranger District, two miles east of Madison Butte Lookout. Approximately 8 acres in size, and 40 percent contained. $FFHVVLQWRWKH¿UHLVGLI¿FXOW and 16 rappellers are currently working on the blaze. Collin Butte Fire: Fully contained at approximately 45 acres. Located four miles northeast of the community of Winlock on the Heppner Ranger District. A reconnaissance observation ÀLJKWZDVVFKHGXOHG0RQGD\WR VFRXWIRUDGGLWLRQDO¿UHVWKDWKDYH been reported, but not yet located. Fire danger remains high on the forest. For more information about trail and road closures, call 1-877-958-9663 or visit ww.fs. usda.gov/umatilla. As of late Sunday night, lightning has started 18 new ZLOG¿UHVRQWKH8PDWLOOD1DWLRQDO Forest burning roughly 150 total DFUHV7KHODUJHVWRIWKHVH¿UHV include: Table Rock Complex: Reported Saturday, about two miles south of Bluewood Ski $UHD&RQVLVWVRIWKUHH¿UHVLQWKH Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness DQGWZR¿UHVLQWKH0LOO&UHHN Watershed totaling approximately DFUHV7KUHHRIWKH¿YH¿UHV are fully contained, and the largest ¿UH²DWDFUHV²LVQRZ percent contained. More than 50 ¿UH¿JKWHUVDUHDVVLJQHGWRWKH complex. 6HDVRQDO FDPS¿UH UHVWULFWLRQV are also in effect through Oct. 31. &DPS¿UHV DUH DOORZHG RQO\ LQ ¿UH SLWV VXUURXQGHG E\ GLUW URFN or commercial rings, and must EHDWWHQGHGDWDOOWLPHV$OOÀDP- mable material should be cleared within a three-foot radius from the edge of the pit. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest will enter Phase A restrictions beginning Wednesday. Hot weather over the weekend TXLFNO\LQFUHDVHG¿UHGDQJHULQWKH forests, which are already parched following a year of record-low winter snowpack statewide. ³5HFUHDWLRQLVWV ¿UHZRRG cutters, hunters and other forest users can all help in ensuring a VDIH¿UHVHDVRQ´VDLG%UHW5XE\ ¿UH VWDII RI¿FHU RQ WKH :DOORZD Whitman forest. The Oregon Department of Forestry, meanwhile, will enforce its own set of restrictions — known as regulated use closures — beginning Wednesday across the Northeast Oregon District. The district, which provides ¿UHSURWHFWLRQRQPLOOLRQDFUHV over seven counties, formally GHFODUHG¿UHVHDVRQ-XQH)LUH- ¿JKWHUVKDYHDOUHDG\UHVSRQGHGWR KXPDQFDXVHG ¿UHV EXUQLQJ D little more than 40 acres so far this year. Regulated use closures are similar to the Forest Service’s public use restrictions, but include a few additional bans for private landowners. Cutting, grinding and welding metal is prohibited between the hours of 1-8 p.m., as well as mowing dried grasses with power-driven equipment except to harvest crops. 8VHRI¿UHZRUNVVN\ODQWHUQV exploding targets and tracer ammunition is also prohibited. ODF district spokeswoman Jamie Knight said that, while ¿UH PDQDJHUV FDQ¶W FRQWURO WKH weather, they can control the human factors that can ignite large ZLOG¿UHV “It’s been hot and dry for sure,” Knight said. “If the weather trends continue as they are, it could be a very eventful season for us.” More information about ¿UHV UHVWULFWLRQV DQG FORVXUHV LV available on the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch website at www.bmidc.org. To report a ¿UH FRQWDFW WKH GLVSDWFK FHQWHU at 541-963-7171 or simply call 9-1-1. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4547. :LQGSXVKHV¿UH this way and that By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Erratic winds tested WKH SDWLHQFH RI ¿UH¿JKWHUV Sunday afternoon as they battled a blaze several miles north of Pilot Rock. 7KH OLJKWQLQJFDXVHG ¿UH raced through Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage and standing wheat, burning roughly 1,700 acres EHIRUH ¿UH¿JKWHUV VXEGXHG the blaze that burned on both sides of Hoeft Road west of Highway 395. Jeff Hemphill, a captain with the Pilot Rock Fire Department, acted as incident FRPPDQGHU RQ WKH ¿UH +H said a witness described the blaze roaring to life a minute or so after lightning struck around 4 p.m. ³,WMXVWWRRNRII´+HPSKLOO said. Hemphill called for mutual aid. Multiple agencies UHVSRQGHG LQFOXGLQJ ¿UH personnel from Pendleton, Echo, Ione, Boardman, Umatilla, Hermiston, Stan- ¿HOG 8PDWLOOD 7ULEDO DQG the Oregon Department of Forestry. Squirrely winds compli- FDWHGWKLQJVIRU¿UH¿JKWHUV ³7KUHH RU IRXU WLPHV MXVW as we got a handle on the leading edge, the winds would change,” he said. “Often with a thunder cell, winds are constantly shifting.” Hemphill praised farmers who showed up with pumpers, tractors and a dozer WRKHOSFRQWDLQWKH¿UH “All the credit in the world goes to the farmers,” Hemphill said. “With a OLJKWQLQJVWULNH¿UHLW¶VYHU\ YHU\GLI¿FXOWWRFDWFKLWZLWK MXVWRXU¿UHWUXFNV2XWKHUH it’s neighbors helping neigh- bors.” Hemphill said roughly 500 of the blackened acres were standing wheat belonging to two farmers. Another lightning-caused ¿UH QHDU %LJ %XWWHU &UHHN blackened roughly 20,000 acres of privately owned pasture land Saturday HYHQLQJ )LUH¿JKWHUV ZKR fought the blaze until about 2 a.m., returned to the area the next afternoon when another ¿UH LJQLWHG DERXW SP Pilot Rock Fire Chief Ron Neeley estimated the entire DFUHDJH IRU WKH WZR ¿UHV DW 25,000-30,000 acres. BRIEFLY Group to try last- minute BMRC save PENDLETON — Although the wheels have already been set in motion to demolish the Blue Mountain Recovery Center, a commu- nity group is trying to appeal to the city to stop it. City Manager Robb Corbett said the Pendleton City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. to hear the group’s case. While he didn’t want to disclose any names ahead of the meeting, Corbett said the group is composed of local business owners that have banded together to oppose the demolition. The group isn’t opposed to the demolition of the nearby Eastern Oregon Training Center. The Oregon Legislature appropriated more than $1 million to demolish BMRC and EOTC in December and passed a bill to transfer the land to Pendleton June 16. 3 Kings Environmental, the contractor hired by the state Department of Admin- istrative Services, started abatement Monday and will begin demolishing the Westgate facilities in August. $IWHUWKHSURMHFWLV completed in October, Pendleton will use the land for economic development purposes. The meeting will be held at the council chambers in city hall, 500 S.W. Dorion Avenue. Pendleton cooking ¿re burns kitchen PENDLETON — A house FDXJKW¿UH6XQGD\DWWKH block of S.E. Sixth Street in Pendleton. According to Pendleton Fire Assistant Chief Matt %HQHGLFWWKH¿UHZDVFDXVHG by some “untended cooking” in the duplex’s kitchen. 3HQGOHWRQ¿UH¿JKWHUV responded to the house around noon and immediately SXWRXWWKH¿UHZKLFKZDV FRQ¿QHGWRWKHNLWFKHQ Benedict said no residents were inside the house when it FDXJKWRQ¿UH The Red Cross provided the affected family of two adults and two children with food and clothing. Staff photo by E.J. Harris Alonzo Corona, 6, of Pendleton leaps into the wading pool at Til Taylor Park as temperatures reach into the triple digits on Monday in Pendleton. Hottest June weekend ever Pendleton, Hermiston, Walla Walla, Meacham set record highs for June 28 East Oregonian The sun beat down with a vengeance this weekend across the region, breaking heat records Sunday as sweltering summer weather covered eastern Oregon and Washington. According to the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Hermiston, Walla Walla and Meacham all set new high marks for June 28. Pendleton topped out at 109, matching Saturday’s record, and Hermiston reached 107. In other areas, Walla Walla was the hottest on record, reaching 113 degrees “This ain’t noth- ing compared to (Southern heat).” — Johnny Roberson, originally from Tennessee to beat Saturday’s 109 high mark for June. Meacham, which set a new June record on Friday of 93, hit 101 on Sunday. Folks around Pendleton shared how they stayed cool during the record-breaking heat wave. To beat the heat, Dameon Creason, 24, said he followed his uncle’s advice. First, he froze a damp rag. Then he said he wrapped it around his neck, tucking the ends into his shirt. Johnny Roberson, 38, said he made for the mister outside the Rainbow Cafe at 209 S Main St., which releases cool water into the air along the sidewalk. But Roberson, originally from Tennessee, prefers the dry Eastern Oregon heat to Southern humidity. “This ain’t nothing compared to (Southern heat),” he said. Living in an old ¿IWKZKHHO $OMR QHDU WKH Wildhorse Casino, Mike Summers, 56, said he had two fans running the entire weekend and made sure to stay hydrated. He said it’s so hot in the trailer that “it’s like living in a sardine can.” The Oregon Health Advisory urges people to drink plenty of water as temperatures rise into the triple digits, and even take cold showers or apply cool compresses as needed. It also warns people to never leave infants, children or pets in a parked car. Cloud coverage caused Monday’s temperatures to drop slightly, with many areas not reaching the 100 degree mark. The forecast calls for highs to remain in the triple digits through at least Thursday. For updated weather information, visit www.wrh. noaa.gov. Kids! Read this Summer with a Foster Grandparent Volunteer at the Library! 1 hour daily sessions for students in grades 1 to 6 at: Hermiston Library: – Jul. 6 - Aug. 14 Pendleton Library: – Jul. 6 - Aug. 14 We have 2 trained volunteers at each city library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, Monday through Friday. Call (541)-276-4474 to reserve a day and time for your child. TRAIL TRAKKERS 2015 Summer Walking Program May 25 th - Aug. 27 th Fun Run/Walk 5k (7am) • Fireman’s Breakfast • 3-on-3 Basketball Tourney (10am) Blues Cruise Car Show • Children’s Games (11am) • Parade (1pm) TALENT SHOW (3:30pm) • Live Music (6:30pm) • Food Vendors • Beer Garden FIREWORKS and So Much More! * NO DOGS ALLOWED IN PARK www.CityOfIoneOregon.com/FourthOfJuly or check us out on Ione 4th of July Facebook Music funded in part by Morrow County Unified Recreation District Morning Walks meet at Oxbow Trailhead (Intersection of 11th & Elm St.) Monday through Thursday 7:00 - 8:00 am Questions? Call 541-667-3400 ext 3050 or email healthinfo@gshealth.org
