TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — A5
LOCAL & STATE
‘It’s going to be a marathon of a season’
■ Fire risk in Eastern Oregon at all-time high
By ALEX WITTWER
The (La Grande) Observer
LA GRANDE — Simon Driskell
stood outside the Grande Ronde
Rappel Base under a thick cloud of
morning smoke last month as the air
was fi lled with leftover particulates
wafting in from the Bootleg Fire
raging in Southern Oregon. He sum-
marized the fi re situation in Eastern
Oregon with one word — “explosive.”
Nearly 50 wildfi res have been
reported in Eastern Oregon since
Aug. 5 — with approximately two-
thirds of those events attributed to
lightning storms over the weekend
according to data from the Blue
Mountain Interagency Dispatch
Center. In an ordinary year, most of
those blazes would register less than
a quarter of an acre. This is not an
ordinary year.
“It’s imperative,” Driskell said of
fi ghting fi res early. “If we can stop it
at an acre, we’ve done our job. If you
never hear of us, we’re doing our job
perfectly.”
The elite group of fi refi ghters is
tasked with fi ghting hard-to-reach
blazes via helicopter insertion.
They fi ght fi re with metal; their
tools of the trade are chain saws,
shovels and Pulaskis — axes with
an attached hoe behind the blade.
There’s no water, save for their ra-
tions of water bottles. There is only a
small team — the fi rst load has only
four souls — at the heart of a fi re.
At the base, each member has a
name tag on a thin magnetized strip
stuck to a wall in the operations
center. Of the nearly 40 fi refi ghters,
all but three have their incident
commander qualifi cation. Names are
shuffl ed up and down the load list as
fi res are fought across the region.
Andrew Goshgarian’s name was
on the top of that list on Monday,
Aug. 9. When a name is at the top,
the next fi re is theirs. They don’t
leave the station. Their bags are
packed and ready for the call. Their
boots stay on. They wait.
Kyle Johnson answered his
phone in the operations center that
afternoon. It was a fresh dispatch
to a wildfi re several miles south of
La Grande. He shuffl ed over to the
intercom at the Grande Ronde Rap-
pel Base.
“First load,” he said clearly.
Moments prior, Lauren Mills was
exercising in the base’s gym. Mason
“Eddie” Gustafson was plucking
away at a guitar in the equipment
bay. They were now scrambling into
their fi refi ghting gear. In 10 minutes
or less, they’d need to be on a helicop-
ter heading toward the fi re.
Crew members quickly donned
their helmets, fl ight suits and belly
bags — sacks containing tools, equip-
ment and personal effects. Gabby
Casper, a fi refi ghter not on the fi rst
load list, asked if anybody wanted a
pocket burrito. Tulley Bloom sent a
quick text to a loved one before head-
ing out to the helicopter.
Casper then watched from the
operations center, radio in hand, as
the crew’s Bell 205A-1 fl ew over the
runway and toward the southern
horizon.
When it reaches the fi re, the chop-
per will make left-hand orbits, allow-
ing the spotter and incident com-
mander to plan from above, sizing
up the fi re and determining where
to drop. When ready, the microphone
booms are stowed and the team
relies on hand signals. The fi rst two
fi refi ghters drop at the same time.
Then the next two prepare to drop.
Once every boot is on the ground,
the fi refi ghters immediately grab
their tools and begin the unglam-
orous work of digging trenches
and containment lines. It is slow,
meticulous, arduous work. Often, the
fi refi ghters will sleep overnight near
the fi re.
They stay until the fi re is out,
which can sometimes mean several
days of work. They touch every inch
of the fi re zone. There’s no room for
error this season. A six-hour fi re
watch is held. If no fi re crops up, the
Alex Witter/The (La Grande) Observer
fi refi ghters can declare the fi re out.
Only then can they leave — but the Squad leader Devin Frasier with the Grande Ronde Rappellers prepares to fi ght a fi re northwest of
helicopter ride was a one-way ticket. Mount Emily in La Grande on Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
The fi refi ghters trek out of the
years, some forest fi res are allowed
blaze covered in soot, carrying nearly
to burn themselves out. This year,
130 pounds of gear each. Each fi re
forestry offi cials aren’t taking any
leaves its stains on the fabric of their
chances.
Nomex clothing. They’re picked up,
“Things are just too dry for us. The
returned to base, and their name
cavalry’s not there if we needed to call
returns to the bottom of the list.
them,” Livingston said.
And then they wait.
The picture painted by the senior
Marathon of a season
fi re offi cial is alarming — and con-
Nationally, resources remain
fi rms that this season is unlike any
spread thin as the fi re season
other experienced in Oregon’s history
matures — already, 169 fi res have
of wildfi res.
started this year in Eastern Oregon,
“Resources are stretched thin
according to the Blue Mountain
across the country,” Fargo said. “At the
Interagency Dispatch Center. The
same time, we need to keep our local
outlook is precarious.
resources here so they can respond
Alex Witter/The (La Grande) Observer to lightning strikes, and to campfi res
“We already have record overtime
Lightning strikes over a hay fi eld near Island City on Thursday, Aug.
hours,” said Casper.
that go awry.”
5, 2021. The thunderstorm was responsible for several fi res over the
The rappel team in Eastern
It’s a balancing act between
weekend, including a fi re near Spring Creek and Interstate 84.
Oregon consists of two transport
sending help with other agencies
Bell 205A-1 helicopters, one Sikor-
throughout the region, and ensuring
sky CH-54B skycrane helicopter
On Aug. 1, those numbers had
wild.”
that enough fi refi ghters and special-
and 37 dedicated individuals whose
dropped considerably — albeit due
ists are on-hand to quickly respond
instincts were trained to run toward ‘It just takes a spark’
to the precipitation that came along to reported fi res. And that’s exactly
“We’ve been experiencing August- with thunderstorms.
danger.
where elite aerial fi refi ghter insertion
like conditions since late June and
According to Driskell, aerial fi re
“It just takes a spark,” said Peter teams excel.
we’ve been seeing record-breaking
assault vehicles are helpful to bat-
Fargo, a public affairs offi cer with
Even still, aviation resources are
August conditions since the second
tling fi res, but it takes the work of
the Wallowa-Whitman National For- dependent on having adequate fuel
fi refi ghters to completely ensure the week of July,” said Noel Livingston,
est. “It really is down to that level,
to keep the fi re fi ghting birds in the
the fi re management offi cer with the now.”
fi re is out.
air. Aviation fuel shortages across the
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
“If you’re just dropping water
nation have raised alarms about the
‘The cavalry’s not there if we
“That’s what’s in front of us, and
on something, you’re not actually
potential for critical fi refi ghting activi-
stopping it. You’re slowing it down,” that’s what has us on the edge of our needed to call them’
ties to be stalled.
Resources such as fi refi ghters,
chairs.”
Driskell said.
La Grande/Union County Airport
tankers and initial attack crews
The United States entered into
To ensure safety, rappel crews un-
keeps a supply of around 30,000
move around throughout Oregon
National Wildland Fire Prepared-
dergo at least four personal inspec-
gallons of Jet A fuel, which is used
over the fi re season — prior to
tions prior to entering the helicopter. ness Level 5 on July 14. It was the
by fi refi ghting tankers. That supply
thunderstorms, the area might
earliest start date in 12 years, and
As well, the team trains bimonthly,
quickly depletes as fi refi ghting opera-
the second earliest in more than two receive bolstered forces through
though on Wednesday, July 21,
tions take place.
other fi refi ghting groups such as the
decades. The preparedness levels
that training was interrupted by a
“We could go through, when it’s a
Redmond Smokejumpers.
wildfi re reported northwest of Mount are a metric measuring both fi re
heavy fi re season, 10,000 gallons of
But scrambling wildland fi refi ght- Jet A, and up to 16,000,” said Doug
activity and unallocated resources.
Emily in Union County.
ers across the state, however, means Wright, airport director for the
At Level 5, it indicates that most of
It was a small fi re burning less
that less resources are available to
the country’s fi refi ghting resources
than an acre after overnight light-
airport. “(Firefi ghting operations) can
fi ght other fi res. With nearly 20,000 take about half.”
are tied up.
ning ignited the delicate and dry
brush on July 20.
To track the potential for wildfi re fi refi ghters working fi re lines across
Replenishment of fuel during
The crew shifted mindsets from
events, forestry and wildfi re experts the nation, it’s caused some concerns heavy operations, Wright said, can
training to execution. Those heading use Energy Release Components to of shortages.
happen daily, with approximately
“The fi res we’re dealing with have 10,000 gallons of fuel being shipped to
determine the fi re risk of a certain
to the fi re grabbed their gear and
region. The ERCs refl ect the contri- a high resistance to control,” Livings- the airport per day.
began inspecting themselves and
bution of all live and dead fuels to po- ton said. “We’re emptying the barn
their comrades before boarding the
But with several other airports
tential fi re intensity, according to the to pick these fi res up.”
helicopter.
needing fuel for fi refi ghting opera-
Livingston continued by stating
Northwest Interagency Coordination
Casper stood back and took a
tions, that daily delivery could come
video of the departing helicopter on Center. The measured ERC levels of that Eastern Oregon was well-
in jeopardy.
staffed via drawdown, which leaves
her phone.
most of Northeastern Oregon had
“We’re in competition with every-
critical initial attack resources in
been breaking almost every record
“It’s going to be a marathon of a
one for needing fuel, we all need fuel,
susceptible regions. In less explosive and we understand that,” Wright
season,” she said. “It’s already super on the books by the end of July.
19-year-old Union County woman dies after contracting COVID-19
UNION COUNTY — The Oregon
Health Authority on Thursday, Aug.
12, announced a 19-year-old woman
had died from COVID-19.
The Union County woman is one
of only four Oregonians younger than
20 to die with COVID-19 since the
pandemic began, and she appears to
be the third person in her extended
family to die from the virus in a mat-
ter of weeks.
According to the health authority,
the teen tested positive for coronavi-
rus July 27 and died Aug. 10 at Provi-
dence Portland Medical Center. She
had underlying conditions, according
to the state. The death is the 29th in
Union County since the pandemic
started last year.
A family member, reached on
Facebook, declined to comment. But
people who know the family told
The Oregonian/OregonLive that the
young woman was the granddaugh-
ter of a Union County couple who
died from COVID-19 within days of
each other.
The Oregon Health Authority last
week reported two COVID-19 victims
from Union County whose ages and
dates of death match: a 78-year-old
man who died July 31 and a 78-year-
old woman who died Aug. 4.
A GoFundMe page set up in
response to the deaths of the elderly
couple said the couple’s daughter
and granddaughter had also been
hospitalized with COVID-19. People
familiar with the family said their
granddaughter was a recent gradu-
ate of Union High School.
It is unclear if any of the family
members were vaccinated, although
someone who appears to be part
of the extended family posted on
Facebook: “Trying to support your
wife and family after they lose three
family members in such a short
time is hard. It’s even harder when
it’s preventable by getting a vaccine.
Disinformation is Deadly!! Vaccines
Save Lives!!”
Fewer than half of Union County’s
adults are partially or fully vacci-
nated against COVID-19, the 11th
lowest rate in Oregon, according to
state data. State offi cials have said
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about 80% of July’s deaths across the
state were among people who were
not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated,
and they have said vaccination is the
best way to prevent severe disease,
hospitalization and death.
Before Aug. 12, Oregon had re-
ported only three COVID-19 victims
younger than 20 out of more than
2,900 fatalities.
They are a 15-year-old Marion
County boy who died in May, a
19-year-old Marion County man who
died in December and a newborn boy
from Umatilla County who died in
January.
The Oregon Health Authority an-
nounced 22 new cases of COVID-19
in Union County on both Aug. 12 and
13. That total comes after the state
announced 16 new cases on Aug. 11.
The new cases put the county at
1,905 known cases since the pan-
demic began last year.
The state reported seven new cases
in Wallowa County on Aug. 12 and
six new cases Aug. 13, raising its total
to 286 cases during the pandemic.
The county has had six deaths since
the pandemic started, according to
the state.
Union and Wallowa counties’ total
was part of 2,387 new confi rmed
and presumptive cases of COVID-19
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Friday, bringing the state total to
238,463 cases since the start of the
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