12A • August 28, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Local firefighters return from Baker City blaze Fire danger
By Dani Palmer
Cannon Beach Gazette
The Oregon State Fire
Marshal again called on
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Friday, Aug. 21. This time
they traveled to northeast
Oregon, near Troy, to pro-
tect homes and business-
es from the Grizzly Bear
Fire.
This was the second
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ers to battle the blazes.
Thirteen Clatsop County
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as part of a task force re-
sponding to the Cornet
Fire south of Baker City
early Aug. 13. They re-
turned Aug. 16 after hous-
es and buildings in that
eastern Oregon area were
considered out of danger.
It’s “not that often”
local crews respond to a
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Cannon Beach Fire and
Rescue Chief Mike Balzer
said. It’s been two years
since Clatsop County was
called upon — the last the
Government Flats Fire in
The Dalles in 2013.
With heat and drought
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conditions throughout the
state, “They’ve got a lot
going on,” Balzer said. “It
was only a matter of time
before they got out to re-
quest assistance from the
coast.”
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state, as far as Massachu-
setts, and out of country,
Australia and New Zea-
land, are also assisting in
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Locally, the Knap-
pa Fire District sent four
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Cornet Fire. Warrenton
sent three, Seaside and the
Lewis and Clark Volun-
teer Department two and
Cannon Beach and Gear-
hart each sent one. Lewis
and Clark Fire Chief Jeff
Golightly served as the
task force’s leader and all
but the Gearhart Volunteer
to eastern Oregon must
complete special training
that consists of about 130
hours worth of classroom
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ODQG FHUWL¿FDWLRQ 2OKHLV-
er said.
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ers receive continued
training annually at Camp
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gram provides hands-on
experience and the oppor-
tunity to work as a crew,
he added.
About a dozen of Can-
non Beach’s 24 volunteers
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“It’s a big commit-
ment from the guys if
they want to do it,” Balzer
said. But, he added, those
who do are “excited about
the chance to go out and
help.”
The entire county bat-
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Arch Cape last year.
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desired, the Warrenton
Fire Department got the
COURTESY OF CANNON BEACH FIRE AND RESCUE
chance to “sharpen things
The Cornet wildfire, near Baker City, can be seen behind Cannon Beach’s responding up” when it assisted the
Oregon Department of
fire engine.
Forestry in the Fort Ste-
)LUH'HSDUWPHQWVHQWD¿UH County Fire Task Force And hot, dry conditions vens blaze last month,
engine or water tender, as to assist in structure pro- make a blaze even harder Demers said.
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WHFWLRQRQERWK¿UHV7KH to contain.
well.
Improved weather con- acres and took about three
The Clatsop County (PHUJHQF\ &RQÀDJUDWLRQ
Fire Task Force sent more Act, authorized by Gov- ditions helped crews make days to control.
According to the Ore-
from Seaside, Gearhart, ernor Kate Brown, gives progress on Oregon’s larg-
Lewis and Clark, Knappa the marshal authorization HVW ZLOG¿UH %DO]HU VDLG gon Department of For-
and Warrenton on Friday, WR PRELOL]H ¿UH¿JKWHUV Expected to merge with HVWU\ PRUH WKDQ ¿UHV
Aug. 21, to join nearly 400 and equipment to help lo- WKH :LQG\ 5LGJH ¿UH have burned on lands pro-
¿UH¿JKWHUV IURP DURXQG cal resources battle blaz- the Cornet-Windy Ridge tected by the department
the state in the Grizzly es that threaten lives or blaze, sparked by a light- and forest protective as-
ning strike, has burned sociations in Oregon this
Bear Fire. Seaside Fire structures.
When that threat was more than 150 square year. The majority, more
Captain David Rankin
served as the task leader in reduced in the Cornet miles and destroyed six than 420, were caused by
Fire, Clatsop County’s homes, according to re- humans, including the re-
that blaze.
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“We like to help out,” crew was sent home, ports.
On Monday, Aug. 17, the Warm Springs Indian
Warrenton Fire Chief Tim Knappa Fire District
Demers said. “We don’t Chief Paul Olheiser said. ¿UH¿JKWHUV FRQWLQXHG WR Reservation.
As the dry weather con-
+LV GHSDUWPHQW ¿JKWV build containment lines
like to see our brothers
tinues, the Department of
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The Grizzly Bear Fire, )RUHVWU\DQGWKHVWDWH¿UH
us not do anything. We VWUXFWXUH ¿UHV SHU \HDU
like being there, being in- but they “burn real differ- also caused by lightning, marshal are asking for the
had expanded to 65,000 public’s help in prevent-
ent.”
volved.”
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:LOG¿UHV DUH ³UHDO acres by Tuesday.
Structure protection
prone activities.
weather and fuel depen-
“There is a good
2UHJRQ¶V 2I¿FH RI dent,” Olheiser said. The Special training
the State Fire Marshal stronger the winds, the
Task force members chance we will get called
requested the Clatsop IDVWHU WKH ¿UH VSUHDGV like those dispatched out again,” Balzer said.
spurs burn
bans in
city, county
Fire from Page 1A
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16 after providing protection for
homes and businesses near the
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over a weekend. Cannon Beach
Fire Chief Mike Balzer said it
was only a “matter of time” be-
fore they got called out with state
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was “a good chance” they’d as-
sist again. Another team from the
county was mobilized on Friday,
Aug. 21.
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continue to rise for the area while
the weather remains hot and dry.
The department faced a close call
when dispatched to a dune grass
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arrived.
On Monday, National Weather
Service forecasts for Eastern Or-
egon and near Crater Lake were
bleak, with gusty winds and con-
tinued dry weather expected to
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sumed thousands of acres.
Much of Oregon has been in
a drought for three years, with
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two. The Department of Forest-
ry had its most expensive season
historically in 2013, Public Infor-
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He added that it is normal to
VHHLQGXVWULDO¿UHSUHFDXWLRQOHY-
els rise this time of year but “it’s
not very often we get up to a Lev-
el 4 in this state.” Level 4 is con-
sidered the highest level in the
state. While Northwest 1 Zone,
containing Cannon Beach and
Seaside, is still under a Level 2,
24 other zones have moved into a
Level 4, a general shutdown pro-
hibiting all operations.
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portable cooking stoves using
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fect until further notice.
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6DWXUGD\6HSW8:30am-4pm
Clatsop Community College, Columbia Hall, Rm 219
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“Hey Doc–What’s Up?” Q&A with Drs. Cosmina Popa and Robert Wayne
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service
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Call 503-894-0187
or email Robert McClelland at
rmcclelland@clatsopcc.edu