Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2020)
6A | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS FIRE from page 1A “Residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area and monitor emergency services websites and local media for in- formation,” ODF said in a state- ment issued Monday. “This is the time for preparation and precau- tionary movement of people with disabilities or for large animals and other special circumstances. If conditions worsen, emergency personnel may contact residents in those areas with additional in- formation.” During the first day of oper- ations, eight aircraft from as far away as Prineville and Roseburg, along with more than half a dozen fire engines, were working to con- tain the blaze as it swept up the northern face of the hillside along Sweet Creek Road across from Highway 126, approximately 12 miles east of Florence and across the Siuslaw River from Mapleton. The fire eventually peaked the hill and began spreading down the south side, sending up enormous plumes of smoke and soot that were visible from Florence. SMOKE from page 1A using an Air Quality Index (AQI), which is a numbered and color-coded way to re- port the daily air quality. The AQI in Lane County is calculated for two major pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone and particulate matter. It is also a scaled indication of general air quality, rather than a specific unit of mea- surement. Knudsen did say that conditions might be worse in Mapleton and other ar- eas closer to the fires, but the closest LRAPA sensor is in Florence on Kingwood Street. The Florence sensor indi- cates that for the week before ELECTION from page 1A City Council is comprised of a seven-person non-com- pensated board consisting of a mayor and six councilors. The mayor is elected for a two-year term and council- ors are elected on a rotating basis for four-year terms. Candidates have not yet been announced. • Heceta Peoples Water District: — Director Sub 1, 4-year Term - Ron Davis — Director Sub 4, 4-year Two helicopters, two airtankers and two single-engine airtankers were engaged on the fire into ear- ly evening before darkness forced air support to be grounded for the night. Fire crews are current- ly camped at the Mapleton High School football field, where they will likely remain for several days as the fire continues burning up- hill and away from Mapleton. By Monday night, a total of 417 fire crews, primarily from the ODF, with structural support pro- vided by teams from Swisshome/ Deadwood Fire, Mapleton Fire and Siuslaw Valley Fire and Res- cue, were working to contain the blaze. Air support grew to include 10 aircraft, with 12 fire engines, nine bulldozers and six water ten- ders. At 6 p.m. that evening, ODF’s Incident Management Team 1, led by Incident Commander Joe Hes- sel, assumed command and will continue to oversee active admin- istration. “Overnight, firefighters com- pleted hand lines around the pe- rimeter of all burned areas,” said Hessel, adding that the fire is now fully lined. “They also continued the Sweet Creek Fire began on Aug. 29, the AQI ranged from 8 to 30. Early Tuesday morning, it peaked at 52, just extending into the “moder- ate” range of health concern. “One of the things as you notice the air degrading around you is that it can start to irritate people’s lungs or maybe give you a bit of scratchy throat,” Knudsen said. This is because the smoke is full of particulates from the fire that are then inhaled. According to LRAPA, smoke is especially harmful for seniors, children under 12 and people with pre-ex- isting heart/lung conditions. Smoke can cause scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches and other asthma exacerbations. “If you start to feel or no- tice those things, it’s best to try to stay inside as much as possible and keep the win- dows and doors closed. And while you’re in the home, try to avoid doing things which would create more dust in the air, such as vacuuming or other items like that,” Knud- sen advised. People should also check the air filter on their homes. “It’s one of those things that should be replaced rel- atively regularly, depending on the precise filter that you have,” Knudsen said. “It can be something that is forgot- ten about, so check that filter and make sure that you have a nice new clean one. Putting Term - Brian E. Parker — Director Sub 5, 4-year Term - Charles Kimball • Measure #20-310- Lane Fire Authority: Lane Fire Authority is ask- ing voters, for the first time, to vote on an operating levy of .50 cents per $1,000 as- sessed property value. This will be for people within the authority’s district, which extends to milepost 23 on Highway 126. An official list of candi- dates and measures at the district and state level was not yet available at press time, but a complete list of all positions — and the candi- dates running for those po- sitions in the Nov. 3 election — will be in a special Voter’s Guide to be published in the Siuslaw News in the coming weeks. For additional informa- tion about the Nov. 3 Gener- al Election, visit www.lane- county.org/elections and sos. oregon.gov/voting/Pages/ current-election.aspx. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 13. Stocks. Bonds. CDs. IRAs. Mutual funds. gusty winds — conditions which, combined with the extremely dry vegetation, will test fire lines over the next few days. Adding to the challenge fac- ing firefighters is the area’s steep terrain, increasing the likelihood of quickly spreading fires should flare-ups occur. The cause of the fires is suspect- ed to be arson. While speculation on social media included every- thing from ANTIFA to BLM and other extremist groups, officials confirmed it was not the work of extremists but likely due to an in- dividual. “While there was a white vehi- cle of interest early on, that vehi- cle was located was no longer of interest in our investigation,” said LCSO Sergeant Carrie Carver on Monday. But by Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement announced an arrest. Lane County Sheriff ’s Office Detectives and Oregon State Po- lice Detectives, working in col- laboration, arrested 44-year-old Elia Newton Pendergrass of Ma- pleton shortly after 3 p.m. Tues- day, booking him for Arson in the that in there will help a lot.” According to Knudsen, some masks that people are already wearing to mitigate spread of the novel corona- virus COVID-19 may help with smoke inhalation, but a majority will not have a high enough rating. “As far as it comes to in- haling smoke particles, it really depends on the pre- cise mask you have. A lot of the cloth masks that people are wearing don’t really pro- vide much benefit against smoke,” he said. “There are some masks out there that do have a PM 2.5 filter, and a mask like that is going to still provide some benefit. But really the best masks are those N95 ones that are fit first degree in connection with the Sweet Creek Fires. Meanwhile, as the fires con- tinue, many community mem- bers and groups have reached out to provide food and water to fire crews. But Hassel said, while deeply appreciative of the com- munity’s kindness, “Best man- agement practices include proper distancing and minimizing our physical interactions within the community. To maintain these standards, [we] can no longer ac- cept donations of food or other supplies from the community. But we appreciate your generosity and understanding.” For residents displaced by the fires due to evacuations, the Red Cross is providing accommoda- tions for those affected by the fire. To make emergency arrange- ments, call 888-680-1455. For the latest evacuation infor- mation, visit www.lanecounty.org/ news/sweetcreekfires. On Monday, ODF started a Facebook page with relevant in- formation at www.facebook.com/ sweetcreekmp2fire/. properly on your face.” Instead, he advised that people stay informed and remain inside if conditions worsen. “Florence is the closest monitor out there to look at the air quality, but it still is a good representation of a lot of the air quality in western portions of Lane County. Just really pay attention to LRA- PA’s website to look at air quality advisories,” Knudsen said. “Air quality progress- es from good to moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups, then unhealthy and then very unhealthy — and then at some point, haz- ardous as it really gets up there. All of those different values have different public Visit us on the web T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM Call today to schedule an appointment. 541.991.4475 HEARING S IUSLAW N EWS of Florence HearingAssociatesofFlorence.com FLORENCE • 1901 Hwy 101, Ste A Follow us on Twitter @S IUSLAW N EWS • HVAC A/C & Heating Duct Cleaning • Zonal Heater Cleaning Cadet Wall Heaters • Dryer Vent Cleaning • Gutter Cleaning • Screen Installation • Moss Removal & Treatment • And more... KRAB KETTLE 280 Hwy. 101 M 541-997-8996 Open Daily 10-6pm 1010 Highway 101 Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8755 Scott C. Anderson, Au.D. Steven G. Anderson, Au.D. ASSOCIATES Try our canned tuna in variety of flavors! Ryan Hitchcock Financial Advisor health recommendations and guidelines for who the best people are to stay inside or maybe limiting outdoor activity.” LRAPA has a list of help- ful resources and tips for “Health Threats from Wild- fire Smoke” and home wood heating safety information at www.lrapa.org/203/Resourc- es. “As we start to get more into wildfire season, smoke from those wildfires will be more of a reality for us,” Knudsen said. “Just pay at- tention to what the air qual- ity is and take appropriate action. That’s the best way to protect your lungs and live as long and healthy life as we all possibly hope to.” Getting rid of 'Huh?' for over 20 years Fresh Seafood Market Andy Baber, AAMS® Financial Advisor MKT-5894I-A putting in hose lays to bring water to the fire.” That same day, at the request of the LCSO, the Oregon State Ma- rine Board issued a closure to all recreational boating on the Siu- slaw River between the Highway 126 Bridge in Mapleton down- stream to Tiernan Landing. The temporary closure is in effect through Sept. 13. Speaking at a briefing Tues- day morning, ODF Operations Section Chief Mike Carlson told crews that, “Today’s goals are to hold and continue to secure lines” as they continue securing fire lines by putting in hose lays to cool hot spots and flare-ups along the pe- rimeter. “They will also remain alert to any spots across the lines.” In addition, heavy equipment is being used to strengthen lines and open roads to allow easier access for firefighters as aircraft make water drops on hot spots not ac- cessible to ground crews. While progress has been made, a change in the weather pattern across Oregon is expected to bring higher temperatures, lower rela- tive humidity and the potential for Dan and Teresa Lofy, Owners And Watson Member SIPC Local Eats Your guide to great locally owned restaurants. Surfside Restaurant at Drift wood Shores Resort Open for take-out, sidewalk & patio seating We will be open every day from 11am-9pm. We are doing everything 9 1 we can to safely 0 2 VOTED F BEST O serve our community. is off ering a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu to go with curbside pick up, Wednesday through Sunday. We accept credit and debit cards for advanced purchase. Call 541-902-6447 and listen for the Surfside Restaurant prompt. E All types of roofing and repairs. Single Ply and Composition Specialist. CCCB#222167 541-972-1818 F LO E N C R V ISIT US ONLINE : TheSiuslawNews.com 1285 Bay Street, Old Town Florence • (541) 902-8338 www.1285Restobar.com Drift wood Shores Resort 88416 1st Avenue, Florence
