NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Type 2 Interagency Management Team to take command of HK Complex
Two new fires
were discovered
Tuesday within
boundary of HK
Complex
HELICOPTER HELPS WITH
GRANITE GULCH FIRE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Fire-
fighters have made progress
on the majority of the wild-
fires caused by recent thunder-
storms. Concentrated light-
ning activity occurred across
portions of the National Forest
on Tuesday night.
New smoke reports are
anticipated throughout the
next few days as the weather
conditions remain hot and dry.
Two new fires were dis-
covered Tuesday within the
boundary of the HK Complex,
which consists of 13 lightning
fires burning on the Hep-
pner Ranger District near the
Alder Creek Skookum Trail-
head, approximately 15 miles
north of Monument. The total
acreage of all fires within the
HK Complex is now esti-
mated at 1,500 acres and the
fires are burning in grass,
brush and timber. The larg-
est of the fires within the com-
plex is estimated at 125 acres.
Fire behavior on Tuesday
consisted of torching, spot-
ting and active running. Hot
and dry conditions, as well as
strong winds, contributed to
Umatilla National Forest Photo
The HK Complex Fire, seen from Madison Butte, consists of 13 lightning fires burning on the Heppner
Ranger District near the Alder Creek Skookum Trailhead, approximately 15 miles north of Monument.
fire’s rapid growth.
A local Type 3 incident
management team out of
John Day took command of
the HK Complex at 6 p.m.
Tuesday. However, due to
the increased fire activity,
a Type 2 Incident Manage-
ment Team has been ordered
and will in-brief at the Hep-
pner Ranger District office at
4 p.m. Wednesday. The Type
2 Incident Management Team
will take command of the fire
at 6 a.m. Thursday.
A large area, road and trail
closure has been implemented
on the HK Complex.
Firefighters will continue to
complete direct line construc-
tion on Wednesday, where ter-
rain and fuels allow for crews
to safely engage, while utiliz-
ing aircraft to slow fire spread
and cool hotspots within the
fire perimeter. Approximately
300 fire personnel, including
some local resources from
Maj. Gen. Rees to speak in La Grande
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
Partly sunny
An a.m. shower;
clouds and sun
An afternoon
shower in places
Pleasant with
some sun
MONDAY
SUNDAY
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
Oregon Department of For-
estry, are currently assigned
to the fire.
The Rocky Flats Fire
still remains at 49 acres
and 100% lined. The fire is
also located on the Heppner
Ranger District and is approx-
imately 13 miles northeast of
Spray. Resources on scene
include one crew and two
engines. Suppression strat-
egy is to continue to improve
containment lines.
Sunny, pleasant
and warmer
‘Soldier’s soldier’
will participate in
National Guard
Reunion Weekend
By DICK MASON
EO Media Group
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
77° 53°
77° 59°
89° 58°
91° 60°
84° 58°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
82° 56°
82° 61°
92° 62°
94° 65°
OREGON FORECAST
87° 55°
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
67/57
93/59
95/60
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
93/66
Lewiston
71/57
96/67
Astoria
67/56
Pullman
Yakima 98/65
73/54
98/68
Portland
Hermiston
75/61
The Dalles 94/65
Salem
Corvallis
73/54
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
89/59
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
78/54
88/52
91/58
Ontario
89/62
Caldwell
Burns
101°
62°
89°
59°
106° (1972) 41° (1939)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
74/56
0.00"
0.00"
0.05"
4.56"
5.10"
5.97"
WINDS (in mph)
87/62
88/47
0.00"
0.00"
0.08"
9.61"
6.49"
8.03"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 86/56
75/57
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
91/60
82/64
99°
65°
89°
59°
110° (1898) 42° (1931)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
74/56
Aberdeen
95/65
95/68
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
72/58
BAKER CITY — Forest Service officials decided to
have a helicopter dump water on part of a fire in the
Eagle Cap Wilderness Monday and Tuesday, but their
goal is to limit its growth rather than put it out.
Choppers doused flames on the western and south-
ern edges of the Granite Gulch Fire, which was sparked
by lightning on July 14 near the center of the 365,000-
acre Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon’s largest.
Under a policy that’s been in effect for more than 25
years for the Eagle Cap, Forest Service officials decided
to manage, rather than fight, the fire, which has burned
an estimated 1,000 acres.
Nathan Goodrich, fire management officer for the
Wallowa Fire Zone, said the fire has had beneficial
effects, including burning fuel on the ground and cre-
ating a mosaic pattern of burned and unburned forest
that replicates what fires have historically done in the
Wallowa Mountains.
“So far I am pleased with the effects of this fire,” said
Goodrich, who has monitored several lightning fires in
the wilderness over the past 12 years.
According to a press release from the Wal-
lowa-Whitman National Forest Tuesday, the purpose of
the helicopter water drops was to prevent the fire from
crossing the Minam River and burning downstream to
the west.
The fire, which started in Granite Gulch, has burned
over a ridge to the east into the No Name Creek drain-
age. The fire has not crossed the Minam River.
According to the Wallowa-Whitman, helicopters
could drop water again, and ground crews could be
called in if the fire crosses the Minam River.
Although the fire remains about 7 miles from the
nearest boundary of the wilderness, it could produce
smoke plumes visible from the Baker and Grande
Ronde valleys on hot, dry days for the next several
weeks.
— Jayson Jacoby, EO Media Group
Today
Medford
87/61
Fri.
SW 7-14
W 6-12
Boardman
Pendleton
S 6-12
NNW 4-8
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
86/48
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Full
5:46 a.m.
8:15 p.m.
2:56 p.m.
12:13 a.m.
Last
New
LA GRANDE — One of
the best known generals in
recent Oregon history is set
to make an appearance in La
Grande.
Maj. Gen. Raymond Rees
will be the keynote speaker
at the Reunion Weekend of
La Grande’s National Guard
unit, the 3rd Battalion, 116th
Cavalry Regiment. Rees will
speak Sept. 15 during a dinner
at the Blue Mountain Confer-
ence Center.
Rees served as Oregon’s
adjutant general four times
during his career. His first stint
began in 1989 when he was
appointed by Oregon’s gov-
ernor. His final stint began in
2009 when he was appointed
by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, and
he served four years.
As adjutant general, Rees
was responsible for providing
the state of Oregon and the
United States with a ready
force of citizen soldiers and
airmen, equipped and trained
to respond
to any emer-
gency
or
sit uation,
including
deployments
to Iraq and
Rees
Afghanistan.
Rees is
credited with being instru-
mental in getting new
National Guard armories
built throughout Oregon,
including in La Grande. The
current local armory was
built about 15 years ago,
according to retired National
Guardsman Lou Gerber of
La Grande, who is helping
organize Reunion Weekend.
Gerber said Rees is known
for his ability to connect with
the soldiers working under
him.
“He is a soldier’s soldier,”
Gerber said.
Rees, who grew up in
Helix, graduated from Gris-
wold High School in 1962 and
the United States Military
Academy at West Point in
1966. He served in Vietnam
in the late 1960s and, upon
leaving the active Army,
joined the Oregon Army
National Guard. He then
advanced through command
and staff positions of increas-
ing rank and responsibility.
BRIEFLY
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 108° in Needles, Calif. Low 36° in Stanley, Idaho
Aug 15
Aug 23
Aug 30
Sep 5
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Body of missing Baker City
man found
BAKER CITY — A relative on Monday
evening located the body of a Baker City
man missing in the Elkhorn Mountains.
Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash con-
firmed that the relative found the body of
Derrick Austin Coates, 32, in the Marble
Creek area about 9 miles west of Baker City.
That’s where a huckleberry picker found
Coates’ Jeep Cherokee early on the morn-
ing of July 27.
Coates was last seen the afternoon of
July 26 when he talked with his grand-
mother in Baker City.
Nearman lands new job
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
Reunion Weekend,
which is open to the public,
will begin Sept. 14 with a
pool tournament at the
American Legion hall, 301
Fir St., La Grande.
Activities will continue
on Sept. 15 at the Blue
Mountain Conference
Center. A social hour begins
at 1 p.m. followed by an in-
formal dinner at 2 p.m. and
an address by Rees. Those
attending are encouraged
to wear casual dress.
Tickets for the Reunion
Weekend are now on sale
for $20. The price of tickets
will rise to $25 on Sept. 5.
Tickets may be purchased
in person in La Grande at
the Blue Mountain Confer-
ence Center, 404 12th St.;
American Legion Post #43,
301 Fir St.; Joe Beans, 1009
Adams Ave.; and Denny’s,
2604 Island Ave. Tickets
will be available online at
https://3-116cav.brownpa-
pertickets.com.
For additional informa-
tion call Lowell Beeman, a
retired National Guardsman
who is helping put on
Reunion Weekend,, at 541-
963-9084 or 541-786-5605.
First
NATIONAL EXTREMES
-10s
MORE
INFORMATION
50s
ice
60s
cold front
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80s
90s
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110s
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SALEM — Oregon state Rep. Mike Near-
man is now also the state director for a group
seeking to reduce the influence of public
employee unions.
CORRECTION: In the Page A1 story “Mass shootings stun weary nation,” published Tues-
day, Aug. 6, the story misspelled the name of Pendleton Walmart manager Shawna Nulf.
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Nearman, R-Independence, said Wednes-
day that he will keep his legislative job while
working for the Freedom Foundation.
The Olympia-based organization fre-
quently fights with unions. It has run a variety
of outreach campaigns showing workers how
they can quit unions and stop paying union
dues. Under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018
Janus decision, public employees in Oregon
and many other states are no longer required
to pay dues if they decline union membership.
Nearman has been one of the most conser-
vative Oregon legislators. He previously was
a board member for Oregonians for Immigra-
tion Reform, a group seeking tighter immigra-
tion laws.
He said he doesn’t think his new job con-
flicts with his legislative work.
“The same question could be directed
to some of the members of the Legislature
who are actively involved with unions,”
Nearman said.
— EO Media Group
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