A16
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Contributed photo/Cheryl Hoefler
In the distance, a plane drops retardant on the Dixie Creek Fire Saturday, July 3. The fire was originally reported July 1, but firefighters were unable to locate it until it erupted July 3.
Fire
Creek area.
Shaw said she tracks fires
by incident number across
three interagency dispatch
hubs. When the July 3 report
came into her, it was reported
as a new incident because she
did not go back and identify it
again.
Nonetheless, she said she
takes full responsibility for
labeling it as “unobserved”
when that was not the case.
Continued from Page A1
The Dixie Creek Fire burns 3.4 miles northwest of Prairie City on Saturday, July 3. The blaze erupted
on July 3 after firefighters were unable to locate the smoke July 1.
Shaw said the supervi-
sor hiked to a higher eleva-
tion within the area to visually
locate the fires, at which point
it started to rain.
She said the Dixie Lookout
reported seeing “water dogs,”
which are low clouds or mist
close to the ground and are
often mistaken for smoke.
She said Prairie City Rural
Fire Chief Marvin Rynear-
son, his Assistant Chief Chris
Camarena and a fire manage-
ment officer from Malheur
National Forest’s Prairie City
Ranger District used the fire
finder south of Prairie City in
an attempt to locate the fire.
According to Shaw, the loca-
tion plotted the fire approxi-
mately 1-2 miles north of the
Dixie Creek Fire.
According to Shaw, they
could not locate any smoke
after it rained. However, Shaw
said ODF resources contin-
ued to look for both fires until
about 7 p.m.
She said Rynearson drove
to the area on July 2 and
moved through the site of the
Dixie Creek Fire and did not
see or smell any smoke.
Shaw said a crew respond-
ing to the fire after it blew up
Saturday met a group of camp-
ers leaving the area. She said
the campers saw the strike on
July 1 and drove to the fire but
did not report it.
Rynearson and Camarena
did not respond to a request
for comment by press time.
‘False alarm’
One source of frustration
was that the report was dis-
missed as a “false alarm.”
Shaw said the reports were
officially labeled “unable to
locate” in the dispatch log.
She said the public-facing
online dispatch log, WildWeb,
has a narrow range of classi-
fications and labeling an inci-
dent as a “false alarm” allows
them to close out the incident.
According to Shaw, during
periods of heavy lightning
storms, dispatch receives
countless reports they label as
“false alarms.” These include
fires they cannot locate, dupli-
cate reports of the same fire,
fires that burn themselves out
and fires that precipitation
puts out.
However, the online pub-
lic-facing system ODF uses
has limited classifications
under the “type” section.
Shaw said she had been
unaware there had been ear-
lier reports of fires in the Dixie
One solution for oxygen at home, away, and for travel
Blazing Fast
Internet!
Introducing the INOGEN ONE – It’s oxygen therapy on your terms
Voigt said she was not try-
ing to be critical, nor was she
trying to blame the individual
firefighters. She said she had
a fire on her family’s property
a couple of years ago, and the
response from fire crews had
been “great.”
She also emphasized
the speedy and aggressive
response on July 3.
Regardless, she said, she
does not want a large fire to
occur. With drought condi-
tions not seen in the county
in over a century, Voigt said
it would be a “really long
summer.”
She said she wished fire
crews had followed up with
her or the people who owned
the proerty where she noticed
the smoke to let them know
they could not locate the fire.
Local landowners, she
said, can be used as a resource.
Shaw said, in hindsight,
they would have liked to have
seen crews go back, especially
given the hundreds of acres of
Your home is only as smart as your Internet.
where available
2-YEAR
TV PRICE
GUARANTEE
MKT-P0108
99 190 CHANNELS
MO.
Local Channels!
America’s Top 120 Package
for 12 Mos.
Including
CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100
1-866-373-9175
Offer ends 7/14/21.
All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more.
Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.
S252939-1
Iv Support Holdings LLC
888-486-0359
Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T Internet services. Not all speeds available in all areas. Call to see if you qualify.
$40 INTERNET OFFER: Price for Internet (768k - 100) for new residential customers when bundled with another qualifying AT&T service (DIRECTV, U-verse TV, AT&T TV or AT&T Phone or postpaid AT&T wireless). Prorated ETF ($180) applies if
Internet is disconnected before end of 12 months. Must maintain all bundled services to receive advertised pricing. Additional Fees & Taxes: Excludes cost-recovery charges, where applicable and $10/mo
equipment fee. Activ/Installation: $35
activation fee (self-install) or $99 installation (full tech install) may apply. Credit restrictions apply. Pricing subject to change. Subj. to Internet Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms. † Unlimited data allowance may also be
purchased separately for an add’l $30/mo., or maintain a bundle of TV & Internet on a combined bill and receive unlimited internet data at no add’l charge. For more 1 info, go to att.com/internet-usage.‡ Internet speed claims represent maximum
network service capability speeds. Actual customer speeds are not guaranteed and
may vary based on several factors. For more information, go to att.com/speed101. AT&T Smart Home Manager
is available to AT&T Internet service customers
2
3
with a compatible AT&T Wi-Fi Gateway. Features limited to home Wi-Fi network. Parental Controls and Data Usage features available with BGW210, 5268AC and NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateways. AT&T Smart Wi-Fi requires installation of a BGW210,
5268AC, or NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateway. Standard with Internet plans (12M or higher). Whole-home Wi-Fi connectivity may require AT&T Smart Wi-Fi Extender(s) sold separately. Offers may not be combined with other promotional offers on
the same services and may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice. Other conditions apply to all offers. ©2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks
contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.
S252938-1
CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE
E
GU
TE
1
R GU
’S
T
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER!
NATIO
15 % & 10 %
A
OFF
YOUR ENTIRE
PURCHASE *
FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET!
Promo Code: 285
7-Year Extended Warranty*
A $695 Value!
1
Subject to credit approval. Call for details.
CALL US TODAY FOR
ACT NOW TO RECEIVE
A FREE ESTIMATE
A $300 SPECIAL OFFER!*
Limited Time Off er - Call for Details
Subject to Credit Approval
Limited availability. May not be available in your area.
Call to see if you qualify.
BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!
S252943-1
*Off er value when purchased at retail. Solar panels sold separately.
+
5 % OFF
OFF
SENIORS &
MILITARY!
WE INSTALL
YEAR-ROUND!
TO THE FIRST 50
CALLERS ONLY! **
LIFETIME
WARRANTY
1-855-536-8838
Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST
(844) 989-2328
*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase,
install and activate the generator with a participating dealer.
Call for a full list of terms and conditions.
Number of devices depends on screen size/resolution.
• Get a seamless whole-home Wi-Fi
experience with AT&T Smart Wi-Fi. 3
1
877-557-1912
Special Financing Available
Cut cable internet
and switch to AT&T
Internet. Call now!
A Smarter
Way to Power
Your Home.
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!
FREE
• The bandwidth to power multiple
devices at once.
when bundled,
plus taxes &
equip. fee.
12 mo agmt, other qualifying service (min
$19/mo) & combined bill req’d. $10/mo equip.
fee applies. Incl 1TB data/mo. $10 chrg for
each add’l 50GB (up to $100/mo). †
N
Prepare for unexpected
power outages with a
Generac home standby
generator
64
$
• Free Smart Home Manager App 1
with Parental Controls. 2
/mo.
TH
© 2020 Inogen, Inc.
All rights reserved.
S252940-1
1-855-839-0752
$
/mo.
Reclaim Your Freedom And
Independence NOW!
Call Inogen Today To
Request Your FREE Info Kit
40
19 . 99
$
No more tanks to refi ll. No more deliveries. No more hassles with travel. The INOGEN
ONE portable oxygen concentrator is designed to provide unparalleled freedom
for oxygen therapy users. It’s small, lightweight, clinically proven for stationary and
portable use, during the day and at night, and can go virtually anywhere — even
on most airlines. Inogen accepts Medicare and many private insurances!
• Plans up to 100 Mbps. ‡
AT&T Internet
ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY
S252942-1
For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. *Off er valid at time of estimate only 2The leading consumer reporting agency
conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” Manufac-
tured in Plainwell, Michigan and processed at LMT Mercer Group in Ohio. See Representative for full warranty details. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License#
7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 WA UBI# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License#
2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905
Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration#
PA069383 Suff olk HIC License# 52229-H License# 2705169445 License# 262000022 License# 262000403 License# 0086990 Registration# H-19114
S252941-1
Shaw
said
dispatch
responded with three engines,
including the one that went to
Voigt’s home.
She said an additional
report of smoke in the same
general area from Prairie
City Rural Fire Department
diverted an engine to look for
that fire.
Still, she said, dispatch
added another engine to assist
with the effort.
Meanwhile, a wildland
supervisor joined the effort
and attempted to get a heli-
copter into the area but could
not. But a recon flight with an
aerial observer in the passen-
ger seat with the sole task of
scoping out new fires did not
report any smoke or fire in the
area.
Contributed photo
2
ODF’s search for the fire
Contacting landowners
and working together
RD
Shaw said she used track-
ing software to pinpoint the
day and time of the fire’s igni-
tion. She told the Eagle that it
was at 4:15 p.m. on July 1.
According to Shaw, ODF
uses the software to focus
patrols following lightning
storms in areas with a lot of
activity. However, Shaw said
the software is imperfect, and
often the actual strike is up
to a mile away from where it
shows up on the map. None-
theless, she said it gets crews
in the general area.
natural vegetation that burned.
“We don’t like to see that,”
she said. “Our goal is always
the smallest fire footprint as
we can, and so it’s frustrating
that we did miss an opportu-
nity. “
Then again, she said, they
might not have found the fire
even with better direction
from locals.
“Holdover fires are chal-
lenging, and they had people
likely within a few hundred
yards in the area where the
fire started up days before it
kicked up,” she said.
Shaw said ODF is trying
to learn from the situation and
look at what they could have
done differently, and the situ-
ation would be a reminder for
them all summer long.
“If we can’t find some-
thing,” she said, “we need to
take those extra measures to
figure it out.”
Meanwhile, she said some
people in the community are
upset and feel like fire crews
did not look for the fire, which
was not the case.
Shaw said, while she does
not live in Grant County, oth-
ers who fight fire for ODF do,
and she wants those who are
frustrated to know those fire-
fighters are doing the best they
can.
“They go to the grocery
store, and people see them,”
she said. “I don’t want this to
damage the people who live
in the community, work in the
community and protect the
community.”
No Matter
how big or small your trophy was
or if you just want to share a hunting adventure,
send or drop off your best
hunting photos or stories
to
195 N Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845 • kim@bmeagle.com
Your photos could be published in this year’s EAGLE HUNTING JOURNAL
Please have them to the Eagle by August 8.
S250709-1