6A | SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Oregonians reminded to be
ready for 2021 wildfire season
May is Wildfire Awareness Month
SALEM—In observance
of Wildfire Awareness
Month and in response to
an earlier than normal Red
Flag Warning issued by the
National Weather Service
in April, the Oregon Public
Utility Commission (PUC)
is reminding Oregonians to
get ready for the 2021 wild-
fire season and potential
power outages.
“If the Labor Day Fires in
2020 taught us anything, it’s
to be ready for future wild-
fire events, regardless of
where you live in Oregon”
said Letha Tawney, PUC
Commissioner. “The PUC
Visit us on
the web
T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM
S IUSLAW N EWS
Shoppe
LOCAL
#MyFlorence
Shop. Eat. Support.
SAVE. SHOP
and other state agencies are
providing information ear-
ly to help Oregonians avoid
being caught by surprise by
wildfires that may require
evacuations, utilities to im-
plement public safety power
shut-offs, or cause wide-
spread power outages.”
Prepare for Wildfires
Before They Happen
• Register to receive
alerts from official sources.
Download the FEMA app
and receive real-time alerts
from the National Weath-
er Service for up to five lo-
cations nationwide. Also,
sign up for emergency no-
tifications with your local
city and/or county, as well
as outage alerts from your
electric utility service pro-
vider.
• Develop an emergen-
cy plan and make sure ev-
eryone in your household
knows and understands
what to do in the event of an
evacuation.
• Create a circle of safety
around your home, which is
a fuel-free defensible space
that can help reduce fire
danger. Visit Keep Oregon
UPDATE from page 1A
• Indoor Recreation and
Fitness
Establishments:
maximum 10 percent oc-
cupancy or 50 people total,
whichever is larger
• Indoor Entertainment
Establishments: maximum
10 percent occupancy or 50
people total, whichever is
larger
• Retail Stores: maximum
50 percent occupancy
• Faith Institutions & Fu-
neral Homes: indoor maxi-
mum 25 percent occupancy
or 150 people total, which-
ever is smaller; outdoor
maximum 200 people
The governor was able to
move the whole state out of
Green for more informa- Gather food, medical sup-
tion.
plies, batteries, pet supplies,
among other things, needed
Prepare for a Potential
by family members during
Power Outage
an outage or evacuation
Wildfires can cause power for up to two weeks. Learn
outages, or electric utilities more about what supplies to
may elect to implement a consider.
public safety power shut-
• For individuals with a
off (PSPS). This is a safety medical condition that re-
measure designed to help quires power, please contact
protect people and commu- your service provider in ad-
nities in high fire-risk areas vance of an outage to reg-
by proactively shutting off ister a Medical Certificate.
electricity during extreme This certification provides
and dangerous weather con- added benefits and helps
ditions that might result in the utility ensure they meet
wildfires. If a PSPS becomes your needs in the event of
necessary for electric utili- an outage. Also, consider a
ties to implement, the ser- backup generator or alter-
vice providers will contact native location for power
their customers directly. needs.
Below are links to access
• Keep cell phones fully
the outage and PSPS infor- charged in anticipation of an
mation online for the inves- outage. Consider a car-char-
tor-owned utilities regulated ger for cell phones and other
by the PUC:
electronic devices.
• Portland General Electric
• Make sure your utility
• Pacific Power
service provider has current
• Idaho Power
contact information for no-
Oregonians are encour- tifications by updating your
aged to do the following to account online.
prepare for a potential pow-
er outage before the 2021 During a Power Outage
wildfire season:
• Contact your electric
• Be two weeks ready – utility service provider to in-
form them of an outage. Be-
low is the contact informa-
tion for the investor-owned
utilities regulated by the
PUC. If uncertain which
utility serves your area, vis-
it https://www.oregon.gov/
energy/energy-oregon/pag-
es/find-your-utility.aspx.
• Portland General Elec-
tric – 800-544-1795
• Pacific Power – 877-
508-5088
• Idaho Power – 800-488-
6151
• Avoid downed power
lines at all costs.
• Stay clear of utility
crews working to restore
service in your community.
• Use flashlights or bat-
tery operated lanterns for
emergency lighting. Do not
use candles or other poten-
tial fire hazards.
• Turn off lights and un-
plug electric appliances ex-
cept for the refrigerator and
freezer to help avoid a surge
to the system when service
is restored. After turning off
all the lights, turn one light
on to know when power has
been restored.
• Use generators safely –
Do not run the generator
inside the home or garage
or anywhere near a window
or vent, as these spaces can
capture deadly levels of car-
bon monoxide. Learn more
about proper use of a gen-
erator to avoid hazardous
conditions.
• Check
on
elderly
neighbors or individuals
with special needs who
might need additional as-
sistance.
extreme risk due to stabi-
lizing hospitalization levels
under guidance from OHA.
“Thank you, Oregon. It’s
because of the smart choic-
es you have made — wear-
ing masks, avoiding large
gatherings and getting vac-
cinated — that COVID-19
infections have not contin-
ued to spike,” Brown said.
“Your actions have saved
lives. Please keep it up and
follow health and safety
precautions when you are
out in public so that we can
continue to protect one an-
other.”
On Tuesday, Brown pre-
dicted that the rate that
Oregonians are getting vac-
cinated would prevent a fu-
mass vaccination clinic will
be held on Friday, May 14,
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at
the Florence Events Center,
715 Quince St. People can
schedule an appointment at
www.lanecounty.org/vax-
clinics. Appointments are
recommended, but walk-
ins will be welcome.
Prime and Boost doses
of the Pfizer vaccine will be
available for people.
This event is conducted
by Lane County Sheriff ’s
Search and Rescue, through
Lane County Government,
Lane County Health & Hu-
man Services and the City
of Florence.
“It’s because so many
Oregonians continue to
get vaccinated that we are
able to lift our extreme risk
health and safety restric-
tions across Oregon today.
It’s because of vaccines that
so many Oregonians will be
able to hug mom again this
year. So please, stay safe,
and support a local small
business this weekend,”
Brown said.
People can learn more
about the virus, and how to
get vaccinated, at:
• https://coronavirus.or
egon.gov/Pages/living-
with-covid-19.aspx
• https://all4oregon.org/
• https://lanecounty.org/
coronavirus
• https://lanecounty.org/
vaxclinics
Get Results...List With Tim.
Tim Sapp
Owner /
Principal Broker
541 999-8230
Dunewood Dr #76 –
Cleared, level lot over-
looking natural areas,
with deeded lake and
nature preserve ac-
cess. Beautiful new de-
velopment with curving
streets, underground
utilities and Hece-
ta Water. $115,000.
#3045-21086875
New Listing
1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200
O FF
B AYSTREET
B ISTRO
3pm to 9pm
Thur. to Sun.
Early bird 3pm to 4pm
15% off your bill
Dine-in only
Closed Mon., Tue., Wed.
ture designation of extreme
risk.
“The sooner we can get
a significant majority of
Oregonians vaccinated, the
sooner we can get back to
our regular lives,” she said.
The governor encouraged
people to reach out to their
health care providers if they
have concerns or questions
about the vaccines, which
have been proven to be safe
and effective.
In addition, vaccines
are becoming more widely
available through vaccina-
tion clinics and pharma-
cies. All COVID-19 vac-
cinations are free and no
insurance is required.
In Florence, the next
Th e Siuslaw News is excited to keep the tradition of
celebrating with our
FROM
BabyTO
Graduate
8TH GRADE • HIGH SCHOOL • COLLEGE
Now is the time to reserve
your graduates a spot in this
special section just for them.
Grad’s
Name
Covered heated porch,
In-door dining and ToGo’s
Reservations highly
recommended
LOCATED IN
OLD TOWN
541-590-3569
165 Maple Street, Florence, OR
Offbaystreetbistro.com
Natural Gas Tips
• If required to evacuate,
no need to shut off natural
gas.
• If natural gas applianc-
es do not operate properly
once electricity is restored,
call your natural gas service
provider.
• If natural gas service
is shut off, do not turn on
yourself. Call your natural
gas service provider to re-
store service.
• If you smell natural gas,
evacuate immediately and
call 911
For additional informa-
tion on fire prevention and
preparedness, visit: www.or-
egon.gov/puc/safety/Pages/
Power-Outage-Prep.aspx.
SAMPLE
School:
Birth Date:
Parents:
Grandparents
:
Deadline is Friday, May 28, 2021
LEGACY
PORTRAITURE
Portraits that will show
your innermost self.
SUPPORT
Email photo and below information to
advertising@thesiuslawnews.com
Will Publish June 5, 2021
Enclose Check for
$35.00
and mail to
RODGER BENNETT
PHOTOGRAPHY
1234 Rhododendron Drive #7 | Florence, Oregon 97439
541-991-0777 | www.photobyrodger.com
“Baby to
Graduate Review”
Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10,
Florence, OR 97439
Or stop by our offi ce at 148 Maple St.
(in Old Town Florence)
Grad’s Name:
School:
Birth Date:
Parents:
Grandparents:
Your Name:
Address:
Phone: