Rogue Valley News, Tuesday 9/13 – Quick Response Stops Fire On Pioneer Road, Conditions Improve on Rum Creek Fire

The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and around the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Rogue Valley Weather

Quick Response Stops Fire On Pioneer Road

Several fire crews and emergency first responders responded to a reported structure fire in Medford.

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) confirmed crews were quick to start working on a structure fire with an estimated quarter-acre spread to the wildland on the 5300-block of Pioneer Road.

Unfortunately, ODF had to issue an alert during the incident: 𝘿𝙍𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙍𝙏: A drone has been spotted flying above the fire. As a result, our helicopters are forced to land. 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗙𝗟𝗬, 𝗪𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡’𝗧.Please land any drones in the area immediately. Aircraft will be brought back on when it’s safe for our pilots to return to the air.

The wildland fire portion of this incident has been stopped and firefighters are mopping up the quarter-acre that was affected. Structural firefighters remain engaged on the structure portion of this incident. Smoke may be visible for a while as they continue to work. The cause of this fire will be under investigation.

Conditions Improve on Rum Creek Fire

Light rain overnight helped fire fighting efforts on the Rum Creek Fire northwest of Grants Pass. Officials say the fire is now 75% contained and most of the fire’s edges have been cooled at least 200 to 300 feet into the burn. An infrared flight on Sunday night showed no acreage gain for the blaze, which stands at 21,347 acres.

The light rain overnight has helped reduce the threat of finer fuels catching fire and contributing to the rapid spread of a wildfire. Officials say weather conditions for the next few days are favorable and predicted to be cooler and more humid.

With fire danger still at extreme, the completed work on the Rum Creek fire makes it unlikely to grow, as containment is at 75%.

For a fire to be contained it needs to be lined. This is where the fire has been surrounded by a barrier, either by a dozer or manmade to stop the spread of the fire.

When fire officials mention containment percentage, this means the fire line has successfully stopped the fire from spreading.

“Those areas have the best line in place, there is the least probability for the fire to move across those lines,” says Madison O’Bryant, a Public Information Officer working on the Rum Creek fire.

With the progress that fire crews have done, they have not seen acreage growth within the past couple of days. Now crews are beginning to turn towards rehabilitation in the burned areas. They will create water lines to prevent erosion and seed specific areas that need replanting.

Better Fire Weather Conditions Result In A Decrease Of The Industrial Fire Precaution Level On Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Temperatures have dropped, and weather conditions have moderated significantly following last week’s east wind event. As a result of the predicted return to milder conditions, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest will decrease the Industrial Fire Precaution Level to 2, effective at 12:01 a.m. on September 14, 2022. This decrease applies to all five districts on the Forest. Industrial Fire Precaution Levels will continue to be evaluated across the Forest with changes in the weather conditions, as will all other fire restrictions.

No photo description available.

IFPL 2 (also called a Partial Hoot Owl) restrictions apply to permitted commercial and industrial operators on federally-managed lands, including personal firewood cutting. These restrictions are put in place to reduce the risk of wildfires igniting. Specific restrictions can be seen in graphic below, or by visiting the RRSNF’s website.

Visitors to the Forest are encouraged to continue to be vigilant with fire while in the woods. One spark is all it takes to start a wildfire. Protect communities and those who work to protect them this time of year by practicing the utmost of caution and care while on public lands. Know the fire restrictions that apply to the area you’re planning on visiting by visiting our Alerts and Notices page online.

Weather Cooling Helping Wildfires

A welcome round of early morning showers started the day off west of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington. As the day progressed showers eased over the Cascades at light levels. The cloud cover, humid conditions and lack of winds continued to hamper visibility around ongoing fires. Temperatures stayed in the 60’s and humidity improved, with most areas experiencing good overnight relative humidity recovery. Fire growth on existing large fires was light under favorable conditions. South Central Oregon received multiple lightning strikes, while

The Pacific Northwest will continue to trend cooler as an upper-level trough slowly moves across the region.

Temperatures and humidity will stay near seasonal normal through the week. Around the region there will be some chances for periodic light showers and isolated wet thunderstorms each day. General winds are expected to be light with typical afternoon breezes. The east side of the region should finally see some smoke clearing today.

Lightning Strikes Previous 24 Hours – September 12th – September 13th 2022
0800 to 0800
OREGON Strikes = 174

Outflow winds could result in locally gusty conditions. A stronger trough appears to approach next weekend, keeping temperatures moderated and maybe bringing chances for more widespread precipitation, but confidence in this part of the forecast is low.

With cooler, moist weather reducing fire danger, potential for new significant fires will be at or below normal risk through the week. No unusually strong winds are anticipated. Some isolated lightning could cause a few new starts mainly from the Cascade Crest eastward, but not enough lightning is expected to appreciably boost the risk of new significant fires.

Fires continue to burn to the north, south, east and west today. Cooler weather, and even some rain, is welcome news!

Cedar Creek. 15 miles E of Oakridge, OR. Start 8/1. Cause: Lightning. 90,288 acres (+3,554). 0% containment. Timber. Moderate fire behavior. Evacuations in effect. Road, trail and area closures. IMT1, PNW Team 3 transfer of command planned for today to manage the west side of this incident as NW Team 6 transitions off incident.

The biggest of the fires shut down highway 58 from the 97 junction all the way to Pleasant Hill over the weekend. The city of Oakridge was also without power for much of the weekend.  Cedar Creek Fire officials report that the fire is currently burning 86,734 acres and is at 0% containment. OR 58 is now open to all traffic. The Oregon Department of Transportation advises drivers to look out for Cedar Creek fire responders as they are still in the area.

ODOT says there is a work zone between mileposts 56 and 62, east of the Salt Creek Tunnel. They say to expect delays of up to 20-minutes. Traffic is controlled by flaggers and a pilot car. Check TripCheck.com or call 5-1-1 for current road conditions.

Fire officials note that the Lane County Sheriff’s Office lowered some evacuation levels Sunday due to changing conditions and progress on the fire. Evacuation levels in the communities of Westfir and portions of Oakridge were lowered from Level 3 (Go Now) to Level 2 (Set). High Prairie and the areas north, east, and southwest of Oakridge remain in Level 3 evacuation status. Lane County’s latest fire and evacuation information can be found on their website.

People who remain in shelters will continue to receive services provided by the Red Cross. People who have mobility limitations or are particularly sensitive to smoke are encouraged not to return to Level 2 areas.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place. The use of drones is prohibited in the fire area, please make it safe for our firefighters to use aircraft on the fire. Pacific Crest Trail hikers should visit pcta.org for current information.

Rum Creek. 14 miles NW of Grants Pass, OR. Start 8/17. Cause: Lightning. 21,347 acres (+0). 80% containment. Timber. Minimal fire behavior. Road, trail and area closures.

To the west, a few light showers fell on the Rum Creek Fire and vicinity late Sunday into Monday morning. This moisture was a remnant of Tropical Storm Kay, passing to the south. Skies are clearing again, and the next few days are predicted to be similar to today, cooler and more humid than the end of last week.

It appears the Red Flag warnings are over for now. Fire danger is still heightened, but the completed work makes the
Rum Creek Fire unlikely to grow. Large fuels like logs are dry enough to burn readily, but the finer fuels that usually contribute to rapid fire spread are not as critically dry.

Fire personnel continue to patrol the fire’s perimeter, searching for residual hot spots. Most of the fire’s edges have been cooled at least 200 to 300 feet into the burn. Last night’s infrared flight detected little heat on most of the fire’s perimeter, and showed no acreage gain. Containment is now at 75%.

The hot, dry and windy weather the last few days helped expose remaining hot spots, making some burn more actively and start to smoke. This made them easier to locate and extinguish. Light rain also helps firefighters. Light rain has time to soak into the vegetation and ground, while heavy rain is more likely to run off and cause erosion.

Any moisture, including high humidity and rain, makes the fine fuels harder to ignite and burn. Moisture from rain can soak into the ground, duff layer, and other fuels. If it contacts embers, it cools them and converts to steam. Today firefighters will be watching for wisps of steam, showing the locations of hot spots.

In areas with a layer of ash covering the ground, ash will turn a darker gray as it absorbs rain. The water will evaporate over warmer areas and ash will turn lighter again. Firefighters watch for pale patches of ash and dig for buried heat under them. Some spots will be barely warm, but others will be hot coals. The damp ash and soil can be mixed with the embers to extinguish them, reducing the need for pumps and hoses to relay water.

Van Meter. 13 miles SE of Klamath Falls, OR. Start 9/7. Cause: Unknown. 2,642 acres (+103). 60% containment. Timber. Minimal fire behavior.

The Van Meter fire on Stukel Mountain is just 13 miles southeast of Klamath Falls. The fire was reported on September 7, 2022, at 12:24 p.m. Current size estimate is 3,500 acres with no containment.  

An Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire at 6 P.M. on September 8, 2022.  Additional resources continue to arrive to support suppression operations. Firefighters have made significant progress on the fire, limiting growth with safe, aggressive firefighting. 
 
Structural task forces are working with Klamath County Fire Department 1 and the Merrill Fire Department to provide structure protection within the fire area.  Evacuations are in place and the public is asked to stay out of the area for safety of the firefighters and to allow for suppression activities.  The Bureau of Land Management has issued a closure order for lands around the fire.  

Double Creek. 10 miles SE of Imnaha, OR. Start 8/30. Cause: Lightning. 155,297 acres (+909). 15% containment. Timber. Active fire behavior. Evacuations in effect. Road, trail and area closures. These teams are also managing Nebo, Sturgill, Goat Mountain One and Goat Mountain Two incidents.

Firefighters and air resources continued their efforts to contain a fire that spotted across the west bank of the Imnaha River. Air resources dropped 56 loads of retardant on that fire since it was discovered Saturday afternoon.

Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces worked in Big Sheep Creek to protect structures in the area. Crews are working to connect handlines to stop the fire growth on the west side of the Imnaha River. North of the Double Creek Fire, operations will begin implementing a fire line on the ridges to help keep the fire from impacting additional private lands.

We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/HtkW50KHj6g

Screen shot of linked dashboard shows an decrease trend in cases and hospitalizations. Test positivity rates have plateaued. Please visit healthoregon.org/coronavirus for more.

Senator Wyden Announces Oregon the First State To Earn Federal Approval for Medicaid Reimbursement of Mobile Crisis Intervention Services

Senator Ron Wyden announced today that Oregon is the first state to earn federal approval for Medicaid reimbursement of community-based mobile crisis intervention services that help those struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.

“This great news for Oregon clearly demonstrates how our state continues to lead the nation when it comes to reimagining a more humane and effective response for people in a mental health crisis,” said Wyden, Chair of
the Senate Finance Committee. “In the true spirit of the ‘Oregon Way’ focusing on smart solutions, CAHOOTS has long proven a success at de-escalating these crises by getting people the mental health help they need without involving law enforcement.

The approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of Oregon’s Medicaid state plan amendment to provide qualifying mobile crisis intervention services is the first since the American Rescue Plan became law
last year.

I worked to get federal resources in the American Rescue Plan so state Medicaid agencies like Oregon’s could secure planning grants that put them in position for major milestones like today’s that advance on the groundbreaking path pioneered in Eugene,” Wyden said.

And this approach reworking law enforcement by sending trained mental health responders to a mental health crisis instead of police marks another key step in Wyden’s work to extend the successful mobile crisis intervention model
pioneered in Eugene with the CAHOOTS program operated by the White Bird Clinic; throughout Oregon and the country.   https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-oregon-the-first-state-to-earn-federal-approval-for-medicaid-reimbursement-of-mobile-crisis-intervention-services

The Oregon State Hospital has been cited for three workplace safety violations by Oregon OSHA.

Details of the violations have not been released. But the Oregon Health Authority, which oversees the hospital, said in a press release that it has to do with the way the hospital has responded to workplace violence and injuries. Staff members at the state-run psychiatric facility have been repeatedly assaulted by patients.

OHA director Patrick Allen said in a statement that any violence towards employees is unacceptable and that the agency is working hard to reduce rates of workplace violence.

“We must do better, and we will do better,” said Allen. “We appreciate what the Oregon-OSHA violations bring to light, we will continue to partner with our hospital staff to find additional ways to prevent workplace violence.”

Allen said the hospital has hired a violence prevention consultant and is using a new assessment tool to help identify patients who may be more prone to violence. Allen said in recent years, staff and patients have had to cope with staffing shortages and COVID-related restrictions.

Coast Guard Rescues Fishermen off Coos Bay Coast

The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen from a disabled vessel offshore Oregon Sunday.

Crewmembers aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) tow the disabled 66-foot fishing vessel, Lodestar, approximately 180 miles offshore Coos Bay, Oregon, Sept. 10, 2022. The crew towed the vessel toward shore and transferred the vessel and 2 survivors to a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Coos Bay, who towed the vessel to shore. U.S. Coast Guard photo

Watchstanders at the 13th Coast Guard District command center in Seattle received a report at 9:21 p.m. Friday that the 66-foot fishing vessel, Lodestar, lost all means of propulsion and was stranded in a storm battling 8-to-12-foot waves and over 40-knot winds approximately 180 miles offshore Coos Bay.

Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) to rescue the people.

The cutter crew arrived on scene at 1 p.m. Saturday and placed the fishing vessel in tow. The crew towed the vessel toward shore and transferred the towed vessel and survivors to a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Coos Bay approximately 45 miles offshore Coos Bay.

The boatcrew transported the vessel and survivors to shore Sunday and moored the vessel in Charleston.

“I’m extremely proud of this crew,” said Capt. Stephen Adler, the commanding officer of Stratton. “They showcased remarkable proficiency and seamanship rescuing these two fishermen, who were subject to the perils of the sea, far from land. Yesterday, the crew certainly lived up to her ship’s motto of ‘We Can’t Afford Not To.’”

Elliott State Forest and South Slough Reserve Reopen to Public

South Slough Reserve and the Elliott State Forest have reopened to the public, following a closure due to extreme wildfire danger.

On Friday, September 9, South Slough Reserve and the Elliott were closed after the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for southwest Oregon indicating critical fire conditions. The Red Flag Warning has since been lifted, following the movement of cooler, moist weather into the region.

Oregon is still in the middle of wildfire season. Visitors are asked to help prevent wildfires by following burn restrictions and fire-safe practices when recreating at South Slough Reserve or the Elliott. 

The Department of State Lands will continue to monitor conditions. For the latest updates, visit www.oregon.gov/DSL

Two Oregon State Parks host volunteer events on National Public Lands Day

Campgrounds at Honeyman State Park

Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park and the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail are seeking volunteers for work projects on Saturday, Sept. 24 in honor of National Park Lands Day. 

The work is part of the 100 Volunteer Projects for 100 Years series, which commemorates the Oregon State Parks centennial. Projects have included volunteer opportunities at Tom McCall Preserve, Wallowa Lake State Park, Nehalem Bay State Park and others.

On Sept. 24 volunteers can pick from two projects

  • Jessie M. Honeyman: work alongside park staff to plant native trees and shrubs to help increase shade cover and replace plants that have been trampled or crowded out by others in the campgrounds. Participants must register by Sept. 19 at https://store.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=v.dsp_item&itemId=162&eventId=235. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but those younger than 18 must come with an adult.
  • Historic Columbia River Highway Trail: This trail is frequented by visitors from all over the world, and is a favorite of bikers and hikers looking to enjoy stunning views of the Columbia River Gorge. Work alongside park staff to cleanup this section of the trail. Participants must register by Sept. 19 at https://store.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=v.dsp_item&itemId=162&eventId=234. Volunteers must be at least 10 years old. The work includes using hand tools and moving on gravel and uneven surfaces.

Tools and equipment will be provided at both locations. Bring water, gloves and clothes suitable for the weather. 

Visit the event calendar for additional events in 2022. Join the events and participate in the legacy of service that has sustained the state parks system for the past century.  Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. 

https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
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May be an image of 2 people, outdoors and text that says 'MISSING ENDANGERED PERSON NEWPORT OREGO Dawn Marie Catalano Age: 47 Sex: Female Race: White Height: 5' 5" Weight: 153 lbs Hair: Red Eyes: Blue Tattoos: Two light pink flowers on each forearm; unknown design on lower back Vehicle: White Ford Focus OR license 549MVX Last seen September 3, 2022 at residence in Newport, OR Case #22N-01731 Newport Police Department 541-574-3348 or call 911 if you have any information.'

This is just a small compilation of missing women and their pictures in the area. There are of course women missing all over Oregon and men and children missing too. We don’t mean to dismiss that, however, there is an inordinate amount of women who go missing each week and there could possibly be a connection with an anomaly or two here and there. Sadly most of them never get any attention. Family and friends must keep any information going and lead investigations so that they aren’t just forgotten. 

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https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/

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