Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2020)
8 SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 Smoke Signals Wildfire effects force five-day closure of Tribal government By Dean Rhodes The Tribal Governance building was shrouded in the smoke and haze that hung over the Grand Ronde Valley on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Smoke Signals editor Tribal offices in Grand Ronde remained closed for the fifth work day in a row on Monday, Sept. 14, because of poor air quality, General Manager David Fullerton announced Sunday, Sept. 13. According to the Oregon Depart- ment of Environmental Quality, air quality in most of the Willamette Valley remained at hazardous levels on Monday. Clearing is not expected until late Monday and Tuesday as a weather front moves in bringing rain and favorable winds. Although the Grand Ronde area did not have any wildfires that plagued the rest of western Oregon, it did have to deal with the smoke created by those wildfires for most of the Labor Day week. As a precaution, Grand Ronde Po- lice Chief Jake McKnight announced that all gates to the Reservation are closed because of the extreme fire danger in western Oregon. On Tuesday, Sept. 8, primary phone and Internet service for the Tribal government went down due to a disruption with Wave Broad- band. The disruption affected all incoming e-mail, web and remote desktop functions. That, in turn, forced the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center to close since it could not receive calls and Phar- macy computers were inoperable. Health Services Executive Direc- tor Kelly Rowe said on Thursday, Sept. 10, that patients needing refills can obtain them at any pharmacy by presenting the outside pharmacy with a prescription label. Gov. Kate Brown has authorized the emergency pharmacy rules and pharmacies can contact the Board of Pharmacy with any questions. Patients will still need to present “If patients have an urgent need for something to be filled the same day, filling at an outside pharmacy is still allowed and recommended as the Pharmacy catches up from the backlog of this week’s request,” Rowe said. “All previous requests are expected to be mailed out by Monday evening at the latest. The staff is relieved to be filling prescriptions again and looks forward to helping patients through this difficult time.” Although the Tribe’s Infor- mation Systems staff was able to bring many of the Tribe’s important Internet services back on line by switching to a backup link, phone services re- mained down on Monday until Wave Broadband can re-estab- Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez lish the primary connection Highway 18 was closed in both directions west of Grand Ronde because of two that runs through the coast range and has been affected by wildfires burning near the highway in the Otis area in Lincoln County. the wildfire near Otis. On Monday morning, the Grand insurance information and pay any Ronde area and Spirit Mountain re- co-pays. mained shrouded in a thick smoky Patients also can contact Shasta haze as Highway 18 — the Salmon Customer Service at 800-880-5877 River Highway — was closed just if they have any problems getting west of the Grand Ronde Road their prescription filled. phones remain down, the only way intersection because of wildfires. “ The Grand Ronde Pharmacy, to order prescriptions is through the Signs situated just west of the though closed, is working behind web refill site at https://cyberscript. Grand Ronde Road intersection the scenes to help patients obtain ais-rx.com/Independents/Login. warned travelers of the closure at their medications without disrup- aspx?IndependentStoreNum- milepost 5. tion,” Rowe said. “The Pharmacy ber=3843150&ImageLib=Gran- The Echo Mountain Fire started hopes to open soon, and we want dRonde or through the phone app, on the north side of Highway 18 to ensure patient needs are met both of which have continued to near mile marker 7-8 and crossed until then.” track requests since the Pharmacy over and was burning in a south- Rowe announced on Friday, Sept. has been closed. The phone app ward direction. The Kimberling Fire 11, that the Pharmacy would begin can be downloaded by searching for is located on Highway 18 near mile processing prescriptions and mail “Grand Ronde Pharmacy” in your marker 3-4 near Otis. Highway 18 them out. However, since campus phone’s app store. remains closed for travel between Highway 101 and Grand Ronde. The Grand Ronde Tribe opened its campus to a fire camp that provided a staging ground for fire- fighters battling the blaze outside spread through Marion and Clack- The Grand Ronde area and Spirit of Lincoln City. amas counties, prompting numer- Mountain remained shrouded in Communications Director Sara ous evacuations. The Almeda Fire a smoky haze most of last week as Thompson said that the scheduled resulted in level 3 evacuations in Highway 18 — the Salmon River Wednesday, Sept. 9, Facebook Live south and central Medford. Level Highway — was closed at milepost event was canceled because of the 3 evacuations also were issued for 10 in Lincoln County because of the Tribal office closures. However, the the Inchelium Highway Fire, part wildfires. Signs situated just west of 10 a.m. Tribal Council meeting to of a larger blaze that burned more the Grand Ronde Road intersection approve a fourth supplemental bud- than 12 square miles of the Colville warned travelers of the closure. get was still held virtually. Reservation. The U.S. Weather Service issued According to the Oregon Depart- “We’re really just kind of holding an air quality alert on Monday, ment of Forestry, all state forests things down here,” Pinder said. Sept. 7, that remained in effect were designated to be in extreme fire “Tonight is the end of the red flag for the Oregon Coast, Willamette warnings, but we will still have danger starting on Monday, Sept. 7. Valley, southwest Washington and engine patrols in place until further One bit of good news for the southern Oregon. notice. We are keeping on the look- Grand Ronde area was announced “Wildfires burning in the region out and are creating a presence to combined with forecasted condi- on Friday, Sept. 11, when Grand let people know the Tribal engines tions will cause air quality to reach Ronde Station re-opened after are around here and can respond to unhealthy levels at times,” the alert being closed for a deep cleaning on something.” stated. “Pollutants in smoke can Aug. 27 after contact tracing found With four engines and a water cause burning eyes, runny nose, positive COVID-19 connections tender at the ready, Pinder added aggravate heart and lung diseases, to the facility. “We would like to the Grand Ronde Reservation will and aggravate other serious health thank all of you who helped during be protected. problems.” the closure,” General Manager Tim “If anyone sees a fire, do not call In addition to battling blazes lo- Jackson said in an e-mail. the Natural Resources Depart- cally, Grand Ronde fire crews are The Saturday, Sept. 12, Tribal ment,” he said. “Call 911 and that also assisting in regional efforts. Council election also proceeded as will be immediately routed to us.” “We have one engine in Warm planned. Voters were able to visit To help safeguard against addi- Springs at the Lionshead Fire, one the Tribal Community Center, 9615 tional wildfires, the Reservation in the Medford area and we have a Grand Ronde Road, between 9 a.m. gates were closed on Tuesday, Sept. hand crew on the Colville Reserva- and 6 p.m. to cast their ballots in 8, and Police Chief Jake McKnight tion in eastern Washington helping person. According to the Tribe’s said that he expected the closure to with efforts there,” Pinder said. Election Board, 126 Tribal voters last for at least a week. The 91,754-acre Lionshead Fire braved the conditions to vote. Tribal crews assisting in efforts By Danielle Frost Smoke Signals staff writer The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s Silviculture/Fire Protection Department focused its efforts to keep the Reservation safe while also assisting other rural departments in the region during last week’s wildfire emer- gency in western Oregon. “We are focusing on protecting the Grand Ronde area, but are also engaged in mutual aid efforts with local departments,” Silvicul- ture/Fire Protection Supervisor Jim Pinder said on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The Tribe worked with the West Valley Fire District and also reached out to the Tillamook Fire Department to see what needs are there. Additionally, a Tribal fire en- gine was sent to Otis, 21 miles west of Grand Ronde, to help con- tain the Echo Mountain Complex Fire. Officials from the Oregon Department of Forestry said ap- proximately 300 acres had burned as of Tuesday, Sept. 8. That and other wildfires in Lincoln County forced residents to evacuate and created hazardous air quality conditions.
