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
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than two dozen homes, scat-
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power less than a mile south of
John Day.
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plex has grown to 43,738 acres
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by lightning and spread dramat-
ically by high winds that swept
through Eastern Oregon on Fri-
day.
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burned to the ground in the
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seen,” said John Day resident
Mary Jane Allen.
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Canyon Mountain to the south
and east into the Strawber-
ry Mountain Wilderness in
the Malheur National Forest.
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digging line around populated
areas to protect what structures
they can.
“Our number one concern is
structural protection,” Bowden
said.
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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
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Wilderness land
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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
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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
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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.
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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. --.
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ma or other health problems.
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clude children, the elderly and
anyone with respiratory or
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Meanwhile, 106 customers
are without electricity as the
Oregon Trail Electric Coopera-
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terman, director of engineering
and operations for the co-op,
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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
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begun to spring up in com-
munities throughout Grant
They are rays of hope and County.
encouragement springing up
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distress on the ground.
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to crews battling the Can- tained.
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Blue Mountain Eagle
Stacey Schuetze created and posted this sign to
express her gratitude to all the firefighters.
