NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
Fire offi cials concerned as fi res
pick up, dry weather continues
By BRYCE DOLE
STAFF WRITER
Some Eastern Oregon
fi re chiefs are concerned
that the county’s already
dry conditions could lead
to an increased risk of veg-
etation fi res heading into
a summer where drought
is consuming much of
Oregon.
“We’ve been worried
about this for a while,”
Pendleton Fire Chief Jim
Critchley said. “We’ve
got fl ash fuels. So they’re
going to move fast, espe-
cially right now when
everything’s (growing) or
is just starting to dry out.”
Boardman Fire Chief
Mike Hughes said that his
team has been respond-
ing to roughly four vege-
tation fi res each week in
the Boardman and Irrigon
areas.
“We’ve been running
to vegetation fi res every
day,” Hughes said. “Every
single day we’re on con-
trolled burns that have got-
ten out of control because
the winds came up.”
Critchley and Hughes
each said fi res are occur-
ring earlier this season than
normal, attributing it to this
year’s lack of moisture.
“This is early in the sea-
son, so we’re a little bit
concerned that, already,
we’re catching these lit-
tle grass fi res so early,”
Hughes said. “Because you
remember what happened
last year in Oregon. The
whole other part of the state
tried to burn down.”
Umatilla County Fire
District Chief Scott Stan-
ton said he has yet to notice
an uptick in vegetation fi res
in his district, which cov-
ers areas around Hermis-
ton and Stanfi eld, but added
that he had not taken a look
at the recent data. He said
that with the predictions
showing a drier, warmer
summer, he’s worried there
could be an earlier start to
fi re season.
“It could be a busy year,”
he said. “And that’s what
they’re forecasting at the
state level — that this could
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Pendleton fi refi ghters use a hose to mop up a hotspot at a
brush fi re near Southeast Nye Avenue on Wednesday, May 5,
2021.
be another busy year.”
Conditions rival driest on
record
The fi res come as some
areas of Umatilla County
report conditions that rival
the driest on record.
March was the sec-
ond-driest on record in
Hermiston. And in April,
conditions hardly improved,
the third-driest on record at
Hermiston, according to the
National Weather Service
offi ce in Pendleton.
Since October 2020, pre-
cipitation in both Umatilla
and Morrow counties have
been reported “well below
normal,” according to Mar-
ilyn Lohman, a hydrologist
with the National Weather
Service.
With much of the county
already experiencing some
level of drought, the Uma-
tilla County Board of Com-
missioners last month unan-
imously declared a drought
disaster and asked Gov. Kate
Brown to follow suit. Mor-
row County did the same.
The declarations come
as more than three-fourths
of the state is already in
some stage of drought. The
National Weather Service
Climate Prediction Center
has said that drought will
likely continue throughout
the summer in Southern,
Central and Eastern Oregon,
as reported by Oregon Pub-
lic Broadcasting on May 3.
What residents can do
Fire offi cials pointed to
several diff erent common
causes for vegetation fi res,
including illegal fi reworks,
cigarette butts, downed
power lines, controlled burn
piles being kicked up by
the wind and even vehicles
and lawn mowers moving
through dry grass.
They also noted several
things that residents can do
to prevent fi res from spark-
ing in their communities.
Critchley
said
it’s
important for homeown-
ers and landowners to cre-
ate a “defensible space” by
“making sure that grasses
or light fuels are mowed
down within 30 feet of your
residence.” In addition, he
advised that homeowners
clear dry leaves out of roofs
and gutters and move fl am-
mable materials like wood
piles away from their homes.
Stanton said that for his
district, residents should
adhere to burning regula-
tions and remain “extra cau-
tious and careful, because it
is extra dry.”
If residents have ques-
tions about how to mitigate
the risk of fi res, Critchley
advised they contact their
local fi re departments for
advice. He also advised res-
idents to check the depart-
ment’s Facebook page for
updates and guidance.
“Fire is just part of our
lives,” Critchley said. “We
just need to make sure that
it doesn’t injure anybody or
damage property too much.
That’s what we’re trying to
stay in front of.”
Hermiston Herald, File
Hayley Mele-Seibel watches the pool during swim lessons at the Hermiston Family Aquatic
Center in 2018. The aquatic center is facing a shortage of lifeguards so far this season.
Hermiston aquatic center
facing lifeguard shortage
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
Parents are anxiously
awaiting news on summer
swim lesson signups at the
Hermiston Family Aquatic
Center, but center offi cials
need to convince some
more people to become
lifeguards fi rst.
Brandon Artz, recreation
supervisor for Hermiston
Parks and Recreation, said
the aquatic center usually
hires about 100 staff for the
season, but is still in need
of 50 more lifeguards.
“We’re at a severe short-
age,” he said. “We’ve
done some recruitment at
the high schools, but like
everyone else in town,
we’re hiring.”
The shortage seems to
be nationwide, he said.
Artz said usually the
department puts out swim
lesson signups in mid-May,
and he has already had a
steady stream of parents
calling to ask about les-
sons. But they can’t draw
up a schedule yet until they
know how many lifeguards
they will end up having,
and if there aren’t as many
as usual, that will translate
into fewer off erings at the
pool. He said that includes
hopes the department had
to off er free swim lessons
to students participating in
summer camps with school
districts this year.
The aquatic center’s
50-meter lap pool is already
fi lled and being used by the
Hermiston High School
swim team for practices,
made possible by a lim-
ited number of volunteer
lifeguards. The city plans
to open rest of the cen-
ter’s pools and slides when
school gets out, but again,
availability depends on
staffi ng, Artz said.
He said going through
the Red Cross lifeguard
certifi cation process usu-
ally costs between $200 to
$300 for someone to pur-
sue on their own, but the
aquatic center will provide
that for free. Artz said often
getting certifi ed not only
provides high school stu-
dents with their fi rst job,
but allows them to work
at their university’s indoor
pool during the school year
when they go off to col-
lege, and then come home
to Hermiston to work at the
HFAC during summers.
While students are often
a good choice for lifeguards
because they’re available
to work full time during
summers, Artz said they
also hire adults of all ages,
including teachers looking
for some extra money over
the summer.
For the students, the
managers work with them
on professionalism and job
skills that will translate into
future employment. But
Artz said they also have a
good time together.
“A lot of other jobs, you
don’t get to have as much
fun as us,” he said.
There are two lifeguard
trainings scheduled for the
remainder of May. Those
interested can fi ll out an
interest form on the Herm-
iston Parks and Recreation
Facebook page to be con-
tacted, or stop by the Herm-
iston Community Center
during business hours.
Hermiston police lieutenant has
surgery to remove brain tumors
By BRYCE DOLE
STAFF WRITER
A lieutenant with the
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment underwent a proce-
dure to remove two brain
tumors identifi ed by medi-
cal professionals just days
before, according to Herm-
iston Police Chief Jason
Edmiston.
Randy Studebaker, the
department’s sole lieu-
tenant, informed Edmis-
ton about a week prior that
he was beginning to have
vision problems.
Studebaker fi rst went to
an eye doctor before going
to the emergency room on
April 29. The following day,
he went to a neurologist who
discovered
that Stude-
baker had
developed
two brain
tumors that
would need
Studebaker
an immedi-
ate proce-
dure, Edmiston said.
“I know that every per-
son in this department’s
concerned about his short-
term health and long-term
health as well,” Edmiston
said.
Between 60 and 80
friends and family gath-
ered in a prayer circle at the
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment on Tuesday, May 4,
before Studebaker was
transported to a clinic in the
Tri-Cities for his procedure,
Edmiston said.
Offi cers in the depart-
ment have heard from
Studebaker’s wife, Shel-
ley, that his procedure
went well, but now he
begins the long process of
recovery.
Studebaker has worked
in law enforcement for
18 years. He comes from
a family devoted to law
enforcement.
His father served in law
enforcement, his wife works
with the Pendleton Police
Department and his brother
also works in the Hermiston
Police Department.
Studebaker moved to
Hermiston when he joined
the department in 2012.
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