Tuesday, August 2, 2016
OFF PAGE ONE
FIRES: Have burned 123,775 acres in Oregon, Washington so far this year
Page 4A
East Oregonian
Continued from 1A
to strengthen containment
lines and mop up hot spots to
prevent any lareups.
“The crews are working
to really solidify some of
those lines in anticipation of
gusty winds and low relative
humidity,” Knight said.
Pendleton Fire Chief Mike
Ciraulo was among the irst
ireighters to respond to the
Weigh Station Fire, with high
winds pushing the lames up
and down hillsides. Crews
did a burnout along Old
Emigrant Road to keep the
ire from spreading north, but
Ciraulo said it managed to
jump the four-lane interstate
to the south.
From there, Ciraulo said
the crews were forced to
regroup. He described the
situation as a bit chaotic, with
the ire moving at a running
speed and torching up whole
groups of pine trees. The
sound was like a train, he
said.
“It could have been a lot
worse,” Ciraulo said. “It was
one hell of a good ireight,
and a good job done by all
the crews.”
As many as nine single-en-
gine air tankers, one heavy air
tanker, two helicopters, one
air attack and one lead plane
were called in to provide air
support, along with three
bulldozers and more than
a dozen ire engines on the
ground.
Many of the evacuees
wound up at the Oregon Trail
Store & Deli in Meacham
where they planned what to
COMMUNITY
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Author collaborates with photographers in art exhibit
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
As a museum security guard,
Peter Rock would often pass the
long hours making up stories
inspired by the artwork on display.
Years later as a successful author,
Rock took the idea to another level
by engaging photographers he
admired in a collaborative effort.
The Guggenheim Foundation
found the idea so intriguing that it
awarded Rock a prestigious fellow-
ship to pursue the project.
The inished work, titled
“Spells,” will be on exhibit in the
East Oregonian Gallery at Pend-
leton Center for the Arts. Visitors
will have an opportunity to visit
with Rock during an opening
reception Thursday from 5:30-7
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Fireighters monitor a burnout ire off of the Old Emigrant Highway on Saturday
while battling a fast-moving wildire east of Pendleton.
near Dayton, Washington,
also sparked Saturday after-
noon, burning 550 acres and
prompting evacuations. That
blaze threatened as many
as 125 homes, and is now
mostly contained.
Another 700-acre ire is
also burning south in Baker
County, 10 miles from the
small community of Unity.
Dubbed the Rail Fire, it has
reached 700 total acres. The
cause is unknown.
Carol Connolly, public
information oficer with
the Northwest Interagency
Coordination Center in
Portland, said there have
so far been 30 large ires in
Oregon and Washington this
year, burning 123,775 acres.
As of last week, she said 83
percent of those large ires
were human-caused.
Finer fuels, such as grasses
and shrubs, are drying out
quickly in the Northwest, she
said. She encouraged people
to be aware of local ire regu-
lations, and careful to avoid
starting any more preventable
ires.
“If there is an ignition
source, we do have the poten-
tial for large, catastrophic
ires,” she said.
The Northwest is also
competing
with
other
parched regions for national
ireighting
resources,
Connolly added, and every
human-caused ire takes
some of those resources away
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A ireighting plane drops ire retardant on a wildire
burning near Interstate 84 on Emigrant Hill east of
Pendleton.
from other places that could
use them.
“That’s why it’s critical,”
she said. “We just can’t have
these human-caused ires.”
Fire season was oficially
declared in ODF’s Northeast
Oregon District on June 28,
and certain restrictions on
activities like campires,
smoking and chainsaw use
went into effect Friday. The
majority of Eastern Oregon
is listed in moderate drought,
according to the U.S. Drought
Monitor.
———
Contact George Plaven at
gplaven@eastoregonian.com
or 541-966-0825.
HOUSE: Investigation still
underway to determine cause
Continued from 1A
successfully kicked the door open,
but said it was too hot to enter the
engulfed home.
Other neighbors also reported
dificulty getting through to 9-1-1.
It was a busy morning for the ire
district, as rescue crews were spread
throughout the district on other calls,
forcing Umatilla County Fire District
1 Chief Scott Stanton to drive the
second engine.
“You know it’s a busy day when
the chief has to drive an engine,” he
said.
The ire department received the
call at 9:21 a.m. and an engine from
Station 24 in Stanield arrived on
scene at 9:26 a.m. and immediately
began extinguishing the ire. A second
engine from the district arrived to
Staff photo by Alexa Lougee
provide assistance.
Fireighters work Monday morning to extinguish a house ire in Stanield that claimed one victim.
A total of eight ireighters and a
“You know it’s a busy
day when the chief has
to drive an engine.”
— Scott Stanton,
Umatilla County Fire District 1 chief
chief oficer worked on the ire using
hoses from the outside, but were
unable to enter the house due to the
amount of ire and the roof structures
failing.
In the town of 2,000, neighbors
watched on as smoke plumed into the
blue August sky and crews worked
to contain the ire. The victim’s adult
daughter lives in the same neighbor-
hood and stood helpless as ireighters
worked on the home.
The victim’s name has not yet been
released and an investigation is still
underway to determine the cause.
Photo contributed by Colleen Plumb
“Polar Bears with Audience,” an image by Colleen Plumb, is part
of an exhibit by Peter Rock that includes the author’s commentary
in written word and audio iles. The public is invited to the opening
reception Thursday at Pendleton Center for the Arts.
p.m. at the arts center, 214 N. Main
St., Pendleton. There is no admis-
sion charge.
The project is a collaboration
between Rock and ive photogra-
phers. The author provides a sort of
written narrative about the pieces,
said Roberta Lavadour, arts center
executive director.
“Visitors to the gallery will be
able to read his printed words and
listen to some audio iles while
viewing the exhibit,” she said.
Rock said the process is some-
thing everyone does when viewing
images with no context.
“We ask, ‘What is going on
here?’ “Who is that person?’ ‘What
will happen next?’”
Rock was born and raised in Salt
Lake City. He has a degree from
Yale University and has taught
iction at Yale, the University
of Pennsylvania, Deep Springs
College and San Francisco State
University. Rock currently lives in
Portland, where he is a professor
in the English department at Reed
College.
His stories and freelance writing
have both appeared and been
anthologized widely. He received
an Alex Award for his 2009 publi-
cation “My Abandonment.” His
most recent book is “Klickitat,” a
novel about mysterious writing,
wilderness survival and the rela-
tionship between two sisters. A
book project about “Spells” is set
for publication by Counterpoint in
March 2017.
In addition to the main exhibit,
Diana Bones is the featured artist
in the Lorenzen Board Room. The
Pendleton artist will display some
of her paintings.
The arts center is open Tuesday
TUESDAY, AUG. 2
TERRIFICALLY FREE TUESDAY, all
day, Children’s Museum of Eastern Ore-
gon, 400 S. Main St., Pendleton. (541-276-
1066).
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6-7 a.m., Pend-
leton Recreation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion
Ave. Half-court basketball. (541-276-
8100).
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME, 10:30-11
a.m., Stanield Public Library, 180 W. Coe
Ave. (541-449-1254).
BOARDMAN SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Boardman Senior Center,
100 Tatone St. Costs $4 for seniors 55 or
$5 for adults. (541-481-3257).
HERMISTON SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Hermiston Senior Center,
435 W. Orchard Ave. Costs $4 or free for
children under 10. Extra 50 cents for uten-
sils/dishes. Meals on Wheels available.
Transportation arranged by donation.
(541-567-3582).
PENDLETON SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Pendleton Senior Cen-
ter, 510 S.W. 10th St. Costs $3.50 or $6
for those under 60. Pool, puzzles, crafts,
snacks, Second Time Around thrift store 9
a.m. to 1 p.m. For Meals On Wheels, call
541-276-1926. (541-276-7101).
CRAFTERNOONS, 4 p.m., Pendleton
Public Library, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave. Drop
in for a group or individual craft project.
(541-966-0380).
INSIDE OUTSIDE THE LINES ADULT
COLORING, 6-7:30 p.m., Irrigon Public
Library, 490 Main St. Materials provided.
Bring snacks to share.
PENDLETON KNITTING GROUP, 6
p.m., Prodigal Son Brewery & Pub, 230
S.E. Court Ave. (541-966-0380).
PENDLETON EAGLES BINGO, 6:30-
9 p.m., Pendleton Eagles Lodge No. 28,
428 S. Main St. (541-278-2828).
STORY AND CRAFT TIME, 6:30 p.m.,
Milton-Freewater Public Library, 8 S.W.
Eighth Ave. For elementary school-age
children. (Lili Schmidt 541-938-8247)
UMATILLA COUNTY 4-H FASHION
SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Pendleton Convention
Center, 1601 Westgate. More than 50
entries featuring garments constructed by
youth in grades K-12 as part of their annual
4-H projects. Admission is $3 at the door.
(Patricia Dawson 541-278-5404).
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 3
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6-7 a.m., Pend-
leton Recreation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion
Ave. Half-court basketball. (541-276-
8100).
BABY BOOGIE & TAPPIN’ TOD-
DLERS, 10-10:45 a.m., Hermiston Public
Library, 235 E. Gladys Ave. (541-567-
2882).
STORY TIME, 11:15 a.m. to noon,
Hermiston Public Library, 235 E. Gladys
Ave. (541-567-2882).
PENDLETON SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Pendleton Senior Center,
510 S.W. 10th St. Costs $3.50 or $6 for
those under 60. Pool, puzzles, crafts,
snacks, Second Time Around thrift store
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For Meals On Wheels,
call 541-276-1926. (541-276-7101).
STANFIELD SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Stanield Community
Center, 225 W. Roosevelt. Costs $3.50
for seniors, $6 for others.
ADULT BEGINNING COMPUTER
COURSE, 3 p.m., Pendleton Public Li-
brary meeting room, 502 S.W. Dorion
Ave. Free, but registration required.
(541-966-0380).
LEGO CLUB, 4 p.m., Pendleton Pub-
lic Library, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave. For all
ages. Legos provided. (541-966-0380).
MILTON-FREEWATER FARMERS’
MARKET, 4-7 p.m., Orchard Park,
South Main Street (bottom of Milton Hill),
1224 Oregon-Washington Highway, Mil-
ton-Freewater. Food and craft vendors.
(541-938-5563).
BMCC POOL COMMUNITY MEET-
ING, 5:30 p.m., Blue Mountain Com-
munity College McCrae Activity Center,
2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton.
Learn about pool’s issues and provide
feedback on funding, maintenance and
upgrades. (Casey 541-278-5839).
WEDNESDAY IN THE PARK CON-
CERT, 6-8 p.m., Roy Raley Park, 1205
S.W. Court Ave., Pendleton. Features
1939 Ensemble, food vendors and a
beer/wine garden. (541-276-8100).
through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 4
p.m. The exhibit remains on view
through Saturday, Aug. 27. Admis-
sion is free.
For more information, call
541-278-9201 or visit www.pend-
letonarts.org. For more about Rock,
visit www.peterrockproject.com.
———
Contact Community Editor
Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@
eastoregonian.com or 541-564-
4539
VEGAN/SUSTAINABLE
LIVING
POTLUCK SUPPER, 7 p.m., call 541-
969-3057 to RSVP and for driving di-
rections. Bring a vegan dish and recipe.
Gluten-free friendly group.
Main St. Special story time for children
from birth to age 4. (541-481-2665).
SKILLS FOR LIFE, 3-5 p.m., Pend-
leton Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave. Includes gym activities and
life skills for middle and high school stu-
dents. Free, but registration requested.
(Danny Bane 541-379-4250).
MAKERSPACE, 4-5 p.m., Pend-
leton Public Library, 502 S.W. Dorion
Ave. Children ages 3 and up create,
design and experiment with a variety of
tools, STEM challenges and educational
games.
PICKLEBALL OPEN GYM, 5:15-7
p.m., Pendleton Recreation Center, 510
S.W. Dorion Ave. Combination of tennis,
ping pong and badminton. Ages 18 and
up only. (541-276-8100).
ARTIST’S RECEPTION, 5:30-7
p.m., Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214
N. Main St. Peter Rock will be on hand
to talk about his newest installation,
“Spells,” a collaborative project involv-
ing his writing and the work of photog-
raphers he admires. Refreshments; free.
(541-278-9201).
THE ARC UMATILLA COUNTY BIN-
GO, 6 p.m. doors open, bingo starts at
7 p.m. 215 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston.
(541-567-7615).
FIDDLER’S NIGHT, 6:30-8:30 p.m.,
Brookdale Assisted Living, 980 W. High-
land Ave. Join jam session or just listen.
(541-567-3141).
THURSDAY, AUG. 4
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6-7 a.m.,
Pendleton Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave. Half-court basketball. (541-
276-8100).
PRESCHOOL STORY AND CRAFT
TIME, 10:30 a.m., Milton-Freewater
Public Library, 8 S.W. Eighth Ave. (Lili
Schmidt 541-938-8247).
BOARDMAN SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Boardman Senior Cen-
ter, 100 Tatone St. Costs $4 for seniors
or $5 for adults. (541-481-3257).
HERMISTON SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Hermiston Senior Cen-
ter, 435 W. Orchard Ave. Costs $4 or free
for children under 10. Extra 50 cents for
utensils/dishes. Meals on Wheels avail-
able. Transportation arranged by dona-
tion. (541-567-3582).
PENDLETON SENIOR MEAL SER-
VICE, 12 noon, Pendleton Senior Cen-
ter, 510 S.W. 10th St. Costs $3.50 or $6
for those under 60. Pool, puzzles, crafts,
snacks, Second Time Around thrift store
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For Meals On Wheels,
call 541-276-1926. (541-276-7101).
SENSORY STORY TIME, 12:30
p.m., Boardman Public Library, 200 S.
RAYMOND JAMES
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Photo contributed by Peter Earl McCollough
“Does it Matter,” an image by Peter Earl McCollough, is part of an
exhibit by Peter Rock that includes the author’s commentary in
written word and audio iles. The public is invited to the opening
reception Thursday at Pendleton Center for the Arts.
COMING EVENTS
Safeco Insurance • Allstate
Mutual of Enumclaw • Chubb • Travelers
• Farm • Business • Home
• Ranch • Auto
• Life
Page 5A
PENDLETON
Opening reception Thursday 5:30 p.m.
do next. Store owner Dixie
Earle said phone lines were
knocked out earlier in the
day, and they could see plenty
of smoke hovering in the
distance.
“We’re kind of at the
center of town,” Earle said.
“We had people load up here
and regroup, and igure out
where they were going.”
A nearly two-hour power
failure in Union County may
have also been attributed
to the ire damaging power
lines.
The Red Cross shelter
is still available for anyone
seeking assistance, and
can be reached by calling
888-680-1455.
Meanwhile, a wildire
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