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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2020)
NEWS A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 National Guard soldiers leave from Hermiston to fi ght fi res By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR National Guard soldiers from around the Pacifi c Northwest gathered at the Hermiston armory on Tues- day morning, Sept. 15, before heading out to assist in Oregon’s fi refi ghting efforts. While some soldiers with previous fi refi ghting experience have been on the fi re lines since last week, the 41 members of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Regiment leaving from the Hermiston armory on Sept. 15 were heading to Camp Rilea in Astoria for fi ve days of fi re- fi ghting training fi rst. They hailed from parts of Ore- gon, Washington and Idaho. “We’ve got soldiers that last week were evacuating their own families and now are helping here,” First Lt. Rider Mills of Enumclaw, Washington, said. Mills said they didn’t know for sure how long they would be gone from their families and jobs — just “as long as they need us.” Specialist Casey Hayes of Joseph said his employer was “extremely understand- ing and very supportive” of him leaving to go fi ght fi res. “We normally have a pretty good guess when the fi res start getting as bad as they are that we’ll go out,” he said. “We’re a line of defense for the state.” Hayes previously worked on the Taylor Creek fi re near Grant Pass in 2018, and said they were treated well by the U.S. Forest Ser- vice, with good food and good people. He said Guard members there were able to take on the “grunt work,” such as mopping up fi re lines and checking for lin- gering hot spots that could reignite, freeing up the more experienced career fi refi ghters to focus on more complex work. Specialist Noe Ramirez of Salem said he knows a lot of people over on the west side of the state, who have been evacuated or even had their homes or businesses Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Oregon Army National Guard members discuss previous wildfi re deployments with Umatilla County Commissioner Bill Elfering on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, at the Oregon National Guard Armory in Hermiston. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Staff photo by Ben Lonergan The sun shines through the smoke-fi lled sky above the Oregon National Guard Armory in Hermiston as National Guard members prepare to board a bus to Astoria for fi refi ghting training on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. burn down. His family also lives in the area and he said he was concerned for them. “I want to be with my family right now, but I know I’m helping,” he said. Ramirez has never fought wildfi res before, and said he was excited to learn new skills at Camp Rilea before getting to help with the state’s fi re suppression efforts. After fi nishing training at Camp Rilea, the soldiers will be deployed to one of the dozens of wildfi res around the state, although they weren’t sure yet where they would end up. Oregon National Guard Members load their bags onto a bus in preparation for wildland fi refi ghting training in Astoria on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. From Astoria, the National Guard members will join fi re crews throughout the state to help battle wildfi res. They left Hermiston shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 15, with Uma- tilla County Commissioner Bill Elfering and Morrow County Commissioner Jim Doherty there to see them off. “ Let's all do our part to protect our community! ” KATHY BAKER, OWNER FUN FASHIONS BOUTIQUE - STANFIELD WHEN EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS, WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU SAVE. Energy Trust of Oregon offers cash incentives to help make energy-saving equipment upgrades more affordable for your business. For a limited-time, Energy Trust is offering bonus incentives to Oregon business customers. Visit energytrust.org/commercial/bonuses for more details. + READY TO SAVE? WE HAVE SOLUTIONS. • Wear a mask in public • Avoid indoor gatherings • Stay 6 feet away from others • Wash your hands frequently Visit www.energytrust.org/ExistingBuildings or call 1.866.605.1676. Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, Help Reopen Umatilla County Wearing a mask saves jobs and saves lives NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.
