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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2015)
A6 Blue Mountain Eagle Wildfires Wednesday, August 19, 2015 WAYS TO HELP A disaster has stricken our community – and the community responds. From all corners of Grant County, and well beyond, people and groups have scurried to the rescue, opening their doors, their wallets, their property, and offering endless sweat and time to assist those in need due to the Canyon Creek Com- ple[ ¿ re. +ere is a list of most of the resources the (agle has been able to compile, that have arisen from the ashes of this tragedy. People are advised to call ahead for any of the following to see about current availability and needs. RED CROSS A Red Cross emergency shelter has been established at the Mt. Vernon Community Center. Staff there are assisting with snacks, meals, overnight stays, mental health help and more. To make monetary donations, contact the American Red Cross Mountain River Chapter at redcross.org.cascades, in person at the shelter, or call --R('-CR2SS. Checks need to state ³Canyon Creek Comple[ ¿ re´ to assure that the donation will be directed to the local relief cause. EVACUATION CENTERS Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, 1.(. 'ayton St., -ohn 'ay. --. /iving :ord Christian Center, +ighway , Mt. Vernon. --. Strawberry Grange, 1. Mc+aley, Prairie City. -- or --. 'epot Park, Main and %ridge streets, Prairie City. -- . Teen Center, :. Front St., Prairie City. Prairie %aptist Church, --. Any one with additional resources can email cheryl@ bmeagle.com, and the items will be added to this list online at www.MyEagleNews.com. For the Blue Mountain Eagle Crews are scrambling to gain control of a nightmarish ZLOG¿UH WKDW¶V GHYRXUHG PRUH than two dozen homes, scat- WHUHGOLYHVWRFNDQGNQRFNHGRXW power less than a mile south of John Day. 7KH &DQ\RQ &UHHN &RP plex has grown to 43,738 acres VLQFHLWZDVVSDUNHG:HGQHVGD\ by lightning and spread dramat- ically by high winds that swept through Eastern Oregon on Fri- day. $W OHDVW KRPHV KDYH burned to the ground in the ¿UH¶VSDWKRIGHVWUXFWLRQ ³,¶YH OLYHG KHUH \HDUV DQG WKLV LV WKH ZRUVW ,¶YH HYHU seen,” said John Day resident Mary Jane Allen. 2Q 0RQGD\ WKH ¿UH FRQ WLQXHG WR PRYH GRZQ /LWWOH Canyon Mountain to the south and east into the Strawber- ry Mountain Wilderness in the Malheur National Forest. &KDUOL %RZGHQ ¿UH LQIRUPD WLRQRI¿FHUVDLG¿UH¿JKWHUVDUH digging line around populated areas to protect what structures they can. “Our number one concern is structural protection,” Bowden said. More than 200 residents KDYHEHHQWROGWRHYDFXDWHLP PHGLDWHO\RUSUHSDUHWRHYDFX ate. Those who stay must deal with borderline unhealthy air DQG KDYH EHHQ DVNHG WR FRQ VHUYH HOHFWULFLW\ ZKHUH SRVVL ble. Air quality in John Day is QRZ DW D PRGHUDWH KHDOWK ULVN EDVHGRQWKHDPRXQWRIVPRNH IURPWKH¿UH/DUU\&DONLQVDLU quality specialist with the Or- HJRQ 'HSDUWPHQW RI (QYLURQ PHQWDO 4XDOLW\ VDLG ¿QH SDU WLFOHV IURP WKH VPRNH FDQ JHW VWXFNLQOXQJVDQGWULJJHUDVWK *UL]]O\%HDU&RPSOH[ DFUHV8PDWLOOD 1DWLRQDO)RUHVW 3KLOOLSV&UHHN)LUH DFUHV8PDWLOOD 1DWLRQDO)RUHVW (DJOH&RPSOH[ DFUHV:DOORZD :KLWPDQ1DWLRQDO)RUHVW :DVK 2UH 0LOWRQ )UHHZDWHU 6Q &DQ\RQ&UHHN&RPSOH[ DFUHV0DOKHXU 1DWLRQDO)RUHVW 80$7,//$ 2 :$//2:$ (QWHUSULVH HELLS CANYON NAT’L. REC. AREA /D*UDQGH 81,21 3 %HQGLUH&RPSOH[ DFUHV9DOH%/0 %DNHU&LW\ %$.(5 U.S. forest land 4 -RKQ'D\ D NH 5LY H &RUQHW:LQG\5LGJH)LUH DFUHV2') 1RUWKHDVW'LVWULFW (OGRUDGR)LUH DFUHV2') 1RUWKHDVW'LVWULFW 1 :DOOD:DOOD U Other assistance • 'ianna Church is offering to help with laundry needs of the victims. Contact her on Facebook or at --. • Gleason Pool, 1.:. Canton St., John 'ay, is open FR(( to ¿ re¿ ghters this week. • 2ld :est Federal Credit 8nion members who have lost homes or have been evacuated, can contact the bank to get new temporary checks and/or debit cards. • Tidewater Contractors is open for water trucks needing to ¿ ll up, down at the lower bridge. --. • Kevin Moles of Marciel :ell 'rilling and Pumps, offering as- sistance to people in burned out areas who need to get water going again. A volt generator is needed. --. • 1orco medical supplies, :. Main St., John 'ay, for o[ygen tanks and other health needs. --. • King¶s 'iscount Store, John 'ay Pla]a, is offering discounts for evacuees and ¿ re¿ ghters. --. • %est :estern, :. Main St., John 'ay, toy donation collection for children of all ages, displaced by the ¿ re. - -. • 8mpTua %ank has relaunched its :ild¿ re Relief Lending Program, offering access to personal loans up to , at a reduced interest rate to bank customers living within miles of an 8mpTua %ank, in a disaster area of Level or higher mandatory evacuation. Visit any 8mpTua %ank, call -- -, or visit www.umpTuabank.com. By GEORGE PLAVEN /DUJHILUHLQFLGHQWVLQ1(2UHJRQ 8QLW\ H 5 Wilderness land Wildfire acres N MEALS • STuee]e-,n Restaurant, John 'ay, free meals for evacu- ees. • Silver Spur, Mt. Vernon, free meals for evacuees. • The Corner Cup in John 'ay is offering free house brew coffee to all ¿ re¿ ghters and relief workers. Canyon Creek Complex nabs top priority 6QD ANIMAL/LIVESTOCK BOARDING AND NEEDS • -ohn 'ay River Veterinary Center --, or - -. • Grant County Fairgrounds --. • %utch Sagaser, Mt. Vernon, - home or - cell. • Shawn 'uncan, --. • Mc'aniel Ranch, ,ndian Creek, --. • STuee]e ,n, for pet food, --. • Lisa Green Pereira has a trailer and can help with horses. • Pierre Jones Ranch west of Mt. Vernon, animal boarding. • %roken +earts Animal Rescue, Monument. --. • Sherri Gif¿ n, has room for a couple of horses or dogs. • Loop Ranch has resources to help with livestock needs, corrals, pasture, hay. Call %rad Armstrong, --. • A 8nion County resident is organi]ing hay donations. - -. • Kristin Currin of La Grande, seeking donations and those in need. --. • Jim +amsher in Prairie City, accepting donations and de- livering to those in need. Also can help with moving horses. --. Large blazes create strain on resources KR ,GD EMERGENCY LODGING • Long Creek Lodge, has room for a family displaced by the ¿ re. --. • 'eborah Montgomery, Prairie City area, has a bedroom with Tueen bed and crib, and a fenced yard with about ¿ ve kennels for dogs. --, or --. • Leslie Ricker %ennett, in -ohn 'ay, has a ¿ fth wheel to loan out to a couple or a couple with a child. • Rose and 'arrell +owe, Monument have a cab over camp- er and a camp trailer to give to a displace family or person. • .rista and Mike Grif¿ n, managers of the -ohn 'ay ,nn, have a list of contacts in the immediate area who have rooms or other lodging for people working on the ¿ res or evacuees. --. Photo by Bryan Nelson This photo was taken going north on Highway 395 towards John Day at the hairpin turn before Vance Creek Road. 2UH ,GD KR DONATIONS 2ld :est Federal Credit 8nion has established a deposit account, ³Community Fire Relief Fund,´ to directly bene¿ t local residents affected by the ¿ re. 'onations may be made in person at any 2ld :est branch, by mail to :. Main St., -ohn 'ay, 2R , or over the phone via credit card by calling -- or ---. Mt. View Mini Mart, Front St., Prairie City, donation Mar. --. Mu]]y¶s --, -ohn 'ay Pla]a, donation Mar. -- . Grant County Fairgrounds, -ohn 'ay, accepting monetary donations only now. --. 2pen a.m.- p.m. For after hours needs, an emergency cell number will be posted on the Pavilion door. Silver Spur, ,ngle St., Mt. Vernon, accepting donations. Clothing, food and supplies 8nited Methodist Church thrift shop and food bank, 1.:. Canton St., -ohn 'ay, has food and clothing available for those in need. --. Shepherd¶s Closet, Assembly of God, :. Front St., Prairie City, clothing and other needs. --. *5$17 6 5 0$/+(85 L YHU N $VRI$XJ 6RXUFHZZZLQFLZHEQZFJJRY $ODQ.HQDJD(20HGLD*URXS 2QWDULR 7 10 miles ma or other health problems. 3HRSOH DW KLJKHVW ULVN LQ clude children, the elderly and anyone with respiratory or KHDUWGLVHDVH&DONLQVVDLG+H DGYLVHGUHVLGHQWVWRVWD\LQVLGH DQGQRWRYHUH[HUWWKHPVHOYHVLQ VPRN\FRQGLWLRQV Meanwhile, 106 customers are without electricity as the Oregon Trail Electric Coopera- WLYHKDVORVWPLOHVRISRZHUOLQH DQGSROHVLQWKH¿UH1HG5DW terman, director of engineering and operations for the co-op, VDLGLWZLOOWDNHDQH[WHQGHGSH riod of time to restore power in the region. There are four transmission lines that feed into John Day See AREA, Page A10 Krista Griffin captured this shot facing northeast out of John Day on Friday afternoon, Aug. 14. Grant Co. says µ7KDQN\RX¶ \RQ&UHHN&RPSOH[¿UHKDYH begun to spring up in com- munities throughout Grant They are rays of hope and County. encouragement springing up $ERXW¿UH¿JKWHUVDUH WKURXJKWKHVPRN\VNLHVDQG ZRUNLQJ WKH ¿UH ZKLFK LV FXUUHQWO\ RYHU DFUHV distress on the ground. 6LJQV H[SUHVVLQJ WKDQNV in size and 0 percent con- to crews battling the Can- tained. %\&KHU\O+RHÀHU Blue Mountain Eagle Stacey Schuetze created and posted this sign to express her gratitude to all the firefighters.