LOCAL
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
A3
Incident Commander Smith talks fi re strategy
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA — Link
Smith has previously fought
fi re in every portion of Ore-
gon except for the northeast-
ern corner.
He’s now coordinat-
ing the attack on the Elbow
Creek Fire burning south-
west of Troy.
Smith is the incident
commander for the Type 1
Oregon Department of For-
estry Incident Management
Team 3 that has been on
the scene trying to quench
the Elbow Creek Fire since
Sunday morning, July 18.
Smith, the district for-
ester for the Western Land
District west of Eugene, is
a veteran fi refi ghter. He said
during an interview with the
Chieftain on July 20 that
this is his 37th year fi ghting
fi re, his 29th with the ODF
and his eighth as an incident
commander.
He’s faced some of the
state’s biggest blazes, as
well. Smith was the IC on the
Holiday Farm Fire, which
burned more than 173,000
acres east of Eugene and
Springfi eld in 2020.
The Elbow Creek Fire,
while just over one-eighth
the size of the Holiday Farm
Fire at 22,790 acres as of
Tuesday, presents its own
Ronald Bond/Wallowa County Chieftain
Incident Commander Link Smith, left, and Deputy IC Les Hallman, speak in Wallowa on Tuesday,
July 20, 2021, during a community meeting on the Elbow Creek Fire.
challenges. While the Holi-
day Farm Fire was aff ected
heavily by wind, it’s been
the terrain, he said, that
has been diffi cult at Elbow
Creek.
“Every fi re is diff erent
just based on the environ-
ment and weather condi-
tions,” he said. “You look
at Holiday Farm last year, it
was wind-driven, a very sig-
nifi cant wind event, which is
challenging in itself because
of the rate of spread, but you
knew where it was going.
The wind’s blowing from
one direction and pushing
on the fi re. Here, what’s
challenging about it is it’s
fuel-driven and (you face)
smoke and drainages. You
don’t know which way the
wind is going to blow up
these drainages.”
He said that the deep,
steep drainages and canyons
in the area where the fi re
is burning makes trying to
attack it diffi cult.
“The Holiday Farm Fire,
you could reach every-
where,” he said. “These can-
yons are so deep, it’s really
challenging to get people
down into them.”
The canyons’ depth and
steepness have even lim-
ited one of the tactics Smith
likes to employ — fi ghting
fi re at night.
“It’s a really good time
to catch a fi re, but it’s too
steep and too dangerous to
put fi refi ghters in a draw at
nighttime here, so that takes
away one of our typical
strategies simply because of
geography,” he said.
In explaining fi refi ghting
and tactics, he said there is
a benefi t to having air sup-
port, but manpower on the
ground is what matters.
“People like to think ‘just
bring in more helicopters
or air tankers.’ They slow
the fi re, (but) you have to
have boots on the ground
to really put it out,” he said.
“Even if it rains, it buys you
an opportunity. I like to tell
people we take advantage of
opportunities. If we can get
an air tanker in there and
slow it down, maybe we can
chip away at a line. It’s all
about containment, and in
this country it’s hard to con-
tain a fi re.”
A contained portion of
a fi re, he said, is where a
border containment line
is holding to the point the
crew feels confi dent they
could leave that portion and
it would no longer spread.
“We’re estimating if
we walked away from it,
we’re estimating 15% of
that line we have in, it
wouldn’t expand,” he said
when explaining the con-
tainment at the time, which
was 15%. “The rest of the
fi re could. “As we continue
to strengthen those lines,
WHAT’S HAPPENING
SEE THE EXPANDED ONLINE CALENDAR AT EASTERNOREGONEVENTS.COM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 28
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS: LIT-
TLE BUCKAROO SPECIAL
NEEDS RODEO: 9 a.m. Har-
ley Tucker Memorial Rodeo
Arena. Free.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
PRCA
FAMILY
NIGHT
RODEO: 7 p.m. Harley Tucker
Memorial Rodeo Arena.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
FAMILY DANCE AT THE
THUNDER ROOM — DJ:
9 p.m. At the rodeo grounds.
THURSDAY, JULY 29
RETURN TO AM’SÁAXPA
— NEZ PERCE TRIBE RIDE:
8 a.m. — noon. The Nez
Perce Tribe will ride and walk
the traditional route of the
Nimiipuu to their recently
purchased property where
they will formally bless their
homeland. Camping space
is available, fi rst come fi rst
serve. Restrooms, sinks and
trash receptacles will be on
site. Parking will be available.
No RV hookups. Questions:
208-621-4772.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
TOUGH ENOUGH TO WEAR
PINK WALK: 9 a.m. Har-
ley Tucker Memorial Rodeo
Arena. Entry fee: $40; regis-
ter your dog for an additional
$5 and receive a pink scarf
for them. Entry fee includes
T-shirt, refreshments and
prizes after the walk in the
Thunder Room, one gen-
eral admission rodeo ticket
for Thursday night’s “Tough
Enough to Wear Pink” rodeo.
PILATES: 9-10 a.m. Wal-
lowa Senior Center.
SENIOR
QUILTING
GROUP: 10 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
Wallowa Senior Center.
WALLOWA
COUNTY
CHESS CLUB: 4-6 p.m. Jose-
phy Center in Joseph. Visitors
and players of all levels are
welcome! Free.
WALLOWA LAKE LODGE
MUSIC ON THE DECK:
5-7 p.m. Enjoy acoustic guitar
with Gabriel Bush. Free and
open to the public.
16th ANNUAL COURT-
HOUSE CONCERT SEvRIES:
5:30-7 p.m., at the gazebo on
the courthouse lawn in Enter-
prise. Classical, folk, jazz and
rock. Tonight’s performance
is by Hillfolk Noir. Free.
WALLOWA LAKE LODGE
LECTURE SERIES: 7-8 p.m.
Wallowa
Lake
Lodge.
Tonight’s topic is “Wolverines.”
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
PRCA TOUGH ENOUGH TO
WEAR PINK RODEO: 7 p.m.
Harley Tucker Memorial
Rodeo Arena. Wear pink!
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
FUN AT THE THUNDER
ROOM: 9 p.m. Harley Tucker
Memorial Rodeo Arena.
FRIDAY, JULY 30
DISCOVERY
WALK:
9-11 a.m. West Fork Trail fam-
ily-friendly hike (easy). Meet
at Wallowa Lake Trailhead
at the end of Wallowa Lake
Highway at 9 a.m. Registra-
tion required, with a 10-per-
son maximum group size.
Register at info@wallowol-
ogy.org
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
JUNIOR PARADE: 10 a.m. on
Main Street in Joseph.
WALLOWA LAKE LODGE
MUSIC ON THE DECK:
7-10 p.m. Free & open to the
public. Live music — hang
out on the deck or spread
out a blanket on the lawn.
Full bar will be open until
9 p.m.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
PRCA
FAMILY
NIGHT
RODEO: 7 p.m. Harley Tucker
Memorial Rodeo Arena.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS: ALL
TEEN DANCE: 9 p.m. Joseph
Community Center.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS:
LIVE MUSIC & DANCING
AT THE THUNDER ROOM:
9:30 p.m.
9-11 a.m.
Family-friendly
stroll, meet in the lobby of
Wallowa Lake Lodge.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS
GRAND PARADE: 10 a.m.
Main Street, Joseph.
WALLOWA
COUNTY
FARMERS MARKET: 9 a.m. to
4 p.m. Main Street in Joseph
near Stein’s Distillery. Crafts,
produce, homemade goods
and some live music will be
on tap for visitors. www.wal-
lowacountyfarmersmarket.
com, 541-426-0795 or search
for “Wallowa County Farmers’
Market” on Facebook.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS
PRCA
FAMILY
NIGHT
RODEO: 7 p.m. Harley Tucker
Memorial Rodeo Arena.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS ALL
TEEN DANCE: 9 p.m. Joseph
Community Center.
CHIEF JOSEPH DAYS
MUSIC & DANCING AT THE
THUNDER ROOM: 9:30 pm.
SUNDAY, AUG. 1
WALLOWA LAKE LODGE
PIANO WITH GAIL SWART:
6-9 p.m. Free and open to the
public.
the containment goes up.
Before we leave here it will
be at 100%.”
The terrain, he said, dic-
tates what strategy is put in
place, but he added the team
will “chisel away” putting a
border around the fi re until
it’s handled.
“What’s your fi rst prior-
ity? Maybe it’s a little sec-
tion of line, but you have
to button that up. We have
people throughout the fi re,
we’ll really put an emphasis
on one of those fronts, catch
that one, and (then) we’ll
put emphasis on another
one, and just chisel away at
it.”
The blaze Smith worked
on last year was the larg-
est he had ever been on, yet
he’s stunned by the current
fi re situation.
“It’s crazy the size of fi res
right now. Never seen any-
thing like it,” he said. “It’s
more fi res, and they’re all
big fi res.”
Births
A son, Cavanaugh Brian
Freels, was born July 1,
2021 in Enterprise to
Clay and Erin
Freels of Enterprise.
Grandparents are
Catherine Doherty, Mark
McLaughlin, and
Ted & Kathy Freels.
TUESDAY, AUG. 3
PILATES: 9-10 a.m. Wal-
lowa Senior Center.
301 W. Main, Enterprise • 541.426.3177
$ 5
frozen
pizzas
8AM TO 8 PM
WED, THUR, SUN
while supplies
last
8AM TO 9PM: FRI & SAT
541 569 2285
This week’s featured book
What Strange
Paradise
by Omar El Akkad
107 E. Main St.
Enterprise OR 541-426-3351
bookloftoregon.com • manager@bookloft.org
Thank you to all our sponsors!
Because of your generous donations and wonderful support of our County
Scholarship Fund we were able to award $3000 to three graduating
Seniors in Joseph, Wallowa and Enterprise.
SATURDAY, JULY 31
DISCOVERY
WALK:
A very special thank you Debby Surface & Brad Peterson
As well as: Tri-County Equipment, Hillock Store All, Steins Distillery
Anton’s, Enterprise Animal Hospital, Joseph Hardware, Randall Eschler,
Alpine Meadows Golf Course, CJD Honorary Court, Joseph Excavating,
Double Arrow Vet Clinic, Wallowa Lake Tramwa, Moffit Brothers,
Simply Sandy’s, Wallowa Lake Marina, Tempting Teal Boutique, Heidi’s Town Store,
Arrowhead Chocolates, WC Grain Growers, Winding Waters River Expeditions,
Char Williams , Copper Creek , Salon Joseph, Old, New & You, Trina Jones,
Ginger Dagget, Missy Marchal, Wallowa County Nursery, Alder slope Nursery,
Heidi’s at the Lake, Wallowa Lake Go Carts
www.main-street-motors.com
sales@main-street-motors.com
1989 DODGE
1990 FORD
2006 GULFSTREAM
RAM VAN B250
ECO E250 COACHMAN CAMPER
CANYON TRAIL 25 FT 5TH WHEEL
Stock # 11002
RWD, AM/FM PS
74,989 MI.
$14,900
Stock # 10987
RWD, AM/FM PS
$12,900
Stock # 11024
Beauty!
$8,250
2018 JAYCO
Old Fashioned Values
Sales & Services
33RETS
Stock # 11008
Must See!
$44,900 541-426-2100
SEE OUR OTHER AD ON PAGE B11
311 West Main St. • Enterprise