This Monday photo
provided by KATU-
TV shows a wildfire
as seen from near
Stevenson, Wash.,
across the Columbia
River, burning in the
Columbia River Gorge
above Cascade Locks.
A lengthy stretch of
highway Interstate 84
remained closed Tues-
day as crews battle
the growing wildfire
that has also caused
evacuations and
sparked blazes across
the Columbia River in
Washington state.
Tristan Fortsch/KATU-TV via AP
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
141st Year, No. 232
WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
One dollar
Brown:
Wildfire
threatens
water,
power
systems
By ZANE SPARLING
Capital Bureau
Staff photos by E.J. Harris
LEFT: Smoke from Pacific Northwest wildfires hangs in a haze Monday at 2:19 p.m. over Pendleton. RIGHT: Air quality took a turn for the
worse Tuesday at 11:58 a.m. as smoke from the Eagle Creek fire and others in the region spread into the Columbia Basin.
SMOKED IN
Local air quality alert in effect until noon Friday
East Oregonian
The layer of smoke that
has settled over Oregon is
here to stay — at least until
the end of the week.
Residents can expect
low air quality until Friday
across northeast Oregon as
wildfires continue to rage in
the Pacific Northwest.
The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality
issued an air quality alert
until noon Friday for all of
Eastern Oregon.
Fine particles in smoke
can cause burning eyes,
runny nose and aggravate
other serious health prob-
lems, such as chronic heart
and lung disease. Smoke
can also limit visibility.
People should limit outdoor
activity while the alert is in
effect, especially children,
the elderly and those with
respiratory problems.
The Oregon Health
Authority and Umatilla
County
Public
Health
Department issued similar
See SMOKE/8A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Third graders watch the movie “Cinderella” during recess on Tuesday at Washington Elementary School
in Pendleton. Due to poor air quality from wildfire smoke, outdoor activities were canceled by the district.
TROUTDALE — Gov.
Kate Brown said the
Columbia River Gorge has
already suffered a “devas-
tating impact” from the
Eagle Creek wildfire — and
the blaze is still 0 percent
contained as of Tuesday
evening.
“We’re very concerned,
obviously, about the Bonne-
ville power grid and the
Bull Run watershed being at
risk,” Brown told reporters
Tuesday. “(The gorge) is a
special place for many of us,
and we’re very concerned
about the impact.”
The fire, reportedly caused
by a teen setting off fireworks,
has jumped roughly 13 miles
in 16 hours, Brown said, and
about 400 homes have been
evacuated in rural Multnomah
County. No structures have
been destroyed.
Also in East Multnomah
County, another 850 home-
owners have been warned
there is a medium-level
chance of an evacuation order,
while roughly 4,000 homes in
eastern Troutdale are at the
lowest level of emergency
readiness.
Troutdale Mayor Casey
Ryan, who has been briefed
on fire conditions, said the
chance of a larger evacuation
order remains “slim.”
“The wind is supposed
to pick up tonight. It’s an
East Wind, which is unusual
for this time of year,” he
said in an interview. “If that
happens, and it’s a lot, it
could affect us.”
See FIRE/8A
Stanfield tables nuisance ordinance for stinky plant
Council waiting for city
attorney to review it
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Stanfield’s city council considered a
new nuisance ordinance on Tuesday to
address ongoing issues with odor, but
decided to wait to take action until the
city’s attorney has finished reviewing it.
The council has fielded numerous
complaints from citizens at its last few
meetings about a rotten odor hanging over
the city since a fire burned up odor-fighting
equipment at dehydration plant run by
3D Idapro Solutions. Residents Tuesday
described it as a “puke smell” and “like
vomit.”
An ordinance presented by City
Manager Blair Larsen on Tuesday
specifies that the city would consider
an odor a nuisance if it received at least
three written complaints about it within a
12-hour period. The ordinance also allows
for use of odor-detection equipment if the
city decides at a future date to purchase
some. A second ordinance changes vague
wording about pursing the maximum fine
allowed under state law to classifying the
offense of violating the odor ordinance as
a Class A violation punishable under state
law by a fine of up to $2,000 per day.
“This has some more teeth,” Larsen
said.
Councilors said they liked the ordinance
but wanted to make sure the city’s attorney
believed it would hold up in court before
signing off on it. They also suggested that
while the city is updating its nuisance
codes it should update the language on
noise violations, too.
See STANFIELD/8A
EO file photo
Stanfield City Council held off Tuesday on creating a new
nuisance ordinance to address ongoing issues with odor
from the 3D Idapro Solutions plant.