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Officials say large fires may merge (Oregon Fires)
The Associated Press via Oregon Live ^ | 7/19/02 10:34 AM | JULIA SILVERMAN

Posted on 07/19/2002 12:20:25 PM PDT by Grampa Dave

Officials say large fires may merge

By

7/19/02 10:34 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Two of the largest wildfires in southern Oregon had nearly merged Friday as the total acreage burned since lightning strikes touched off blazes around the state last weekend reached 191,000 acres.

The Tool Box Complex and the Winter Complex were being closely monitored as crews were trying to stop flames from crossing Oregon Highway 31 and heading east into the high desert.

The Toolbox Fire had burned 44,300 acres by Thursday night near the town of Paisley north of Klamath Falls.

The blaze had spread to within half a mile of the 29,300 acre Winter Fire, said David Widmark of the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland.

Fire crews went door-to-door to the 30 homes in the Ana Reservoir neighborhood Wednesday evening to alert Paisley-area residents to the danger and recommend they prepare for evacuation, said Tim Birr, a Portland metro area firefighter serving as part of the state fire marshal's wildfire management task force.

"Four people went to a Red Cross shelter we set up in Christmas Valley but the vast majority of residents remained at home," Birr said.

Across the southern and northeastern areas of the state, other pockets of rural homes and some ranches continued to be threatened by wildfires that have burned across sections of remote desert and rugged mountain forest.

Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said Oregon had become the nation's top fire-fighting priority as the wildfire season got one of its earliest starts during a month when the fire danger typically is much lower.

"In my 35 years in the Forest Service, this is the most activity I've ever seen," Widmark added.

Firefighters on Friday will have to work without the aid of air tankers and smokejumpers, which will be grounded for 24 hours because of Thursday's air tanker crash at a wildfire in northern Colorado, Widmark said.

Eleven air tankers have been rotating among the top priority fires in Oregon.

But more manpower is on the way: an Army battalion, the Oregon National Guard and prison inmate crews have been called to join firefighters from state and federal agencies, along with private contractors, as managers shifted resources around the West to take on the worst blazes of early summer.

Ten Oregon crews fighting fires in other Western states are expected home by the weekend to join firefighters arriving from eight other states, including 650 Army soldiers from a base in Kansas due by the end of the month.

Six miles north of Paisley, Summer Lake Hot Springs managers Diana Hash and her husband remained at the hot spring and RV resort even as flames from the Winter fire surged across the low hills and desert two miles away.

"The firefighters have done an amazing job. For the last four days, it has sounded like a war zone with the double prop helicopters," Hash said.

Hash said every evening they have been able to sit on their back porch at night and watch the flames devour the sagebrush, juniper and ponderosa pine.

"We look through a night vision scope and the flames are just everywhere. Every now and then you see huge fires shoot up in the air, and that is when trees are going up," Hash said.

Mornings have been the worst, she added.

"When you get up it smells like you have been standing around a campfire for a week. The air is filled with smoke. Our eyes have been burning, and we have scratchy throats."


TOPICS: Breaking News
KEYWORDS: andykerrandfire; burningcivilization; christines; ecofascistsfire; ecoterrorism; ecoterrorismbyfire; enviralists; fireruralcleansing; fires; forestfires; green; greenfireagenda; greenfirelegacy; greenhatred; greensburnoregon; landgrab; noforestroads; onrcruralcleansing; perfectgreenfire; ruralcleansing; wildlandfires
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To: calawah98
50 years ago, my father was a forester for Rayonier. We lived in Hoquiam.
41 posted on 07/19/2002 6:12:55 PM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
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To: AuntB
"No,these , according to local news are not lightning started, looks like it's "manmade"."

That's what I thought odd about the article...I've heard several times that the fires are believed to be "manmade".

I'm praying for you AuntB...praying for ALL of you.

42 posted on 07/19/2002 6:13:59 PM PDT by cake_crumb
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To: brityank; Grampa Dave; Washington_minuteman; redrock; Jeff Head; GrandmaC; blackie; All
I can't make the map work, but the fires are east of the cascades, east more of Medford, barely. If you want to see what this area is like and the town of Jacksonville (the fires are south and east with this being the nearest town to the fires, except the small burg of Ruch), rent the western movie, "The Great Northfield Minnisota Raid". It was shot all over that area and in Jacksonville.....Back when we still LOGGED and cleaned up the mess and the FORESTS DIDN'T BURN ALL DOWN.....AND PEOPLE HAD JOBS!! PEOPLE THAT DON'T WEAR STUFFED FISHES ON THEIR EMPTY HEADS. I haven't heard how far into California the fire is. There are several small towns it could reach.

I gotta go take a walk. Living in So. Oregon in the past dozen years has not been unlike a country being invaded, overrun and then burned to the ground. What really amazes me is that most folks don't even realize they're living in a war zone. It's just happened slower than most "ethnic cleansing"....... kind of like the frog and the slowly-boiling pot of water. I've been screaming for 10 years, WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME! It's real damn close to running out for most of us around here. I'm lucky, I'll find a way to survive...I always have, but many are not that fortunate. Jackson and Josephine county have the highest unemployment rate in the nation. They call Oregon "progressive". NO COMMENT. No, there will be no telethons for the people here who are losing everything. There will be no Enron head to blame and the enviro's dream has come true and they KEPT warning us....that the fish would die.......and ALL the wildlife in those charred forests, you freaks, I hope you're happy. The new spin, of course. is that logging has caused all these fires and that if old growth were in ALL forests, they wouldn't burn. DON'T believe it or I'll find you and slap ya.

I'm outta here, good people. Thanks for being here.

Regards, B.

43 posted on 07/19/2002 6:32:49 PM PDT by AuntB
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To: DeaconBenjamin
I left there four years ago, but still have some grandsons that live there. Rayonier had a big operation at Beaver also, but think they have sold a lot of their holdings. Lot of the stores have shut down, not what it was in the 70s, but it has happened all over the West. take care
44 posted on 07/19/2002 6:45:36 PM PDT by calawah98
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To: Grampa Dave
Anybody know how close these fires are to the Medford/Ashland area? My folks and one of my brothers lives there.
45 posted on 07/19/2002 6:53:42 PM PDT by AlguyA
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To: cake_crumb
Try this:

Thank You -

Sierra Club !!

I have it on my cube at work just to piss off the SC member that sits across from me.

46 posted on 07/19/2002 6:55:40 PM PDT by brityank
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To: All
Well...I'm going to toddle my brain dead self off to bed. You all are and WILL CONTINUE to be in my prayers.
47 posted on 07/19/2002 7:06:16 PM PDT by cake_crumb
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To: brityank
I LOVE THAT!! Great idea, thanks!
48 posted on 07/19/2002 7:08:39 PM PDT by cake_crumb
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To: Grampa Dave
If a fire was about to come through our place, I'd cut a few key trees, head back to the front porch, sit down, crack a beer and watch the show.

I've spent ten years preparing for a fire. I wouldn't miss it!
49 posted on 07/19/2002 8:05:48 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Grampa Dave; Archie Bunker on steroids; blackie; SAMWolf; 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
Praying for everyone in Oregon and especially in the fire areas.
50 posted on 07/19/2002 10:34:37 PM PDT by Snow Bunny
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To: Grampa Dave
I can never pull that triagle up. What am I doing wrong?
51 posted on 07/20/2002 6:24:35 AM PDT by tillacum
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To: Grampa Dave
Incredible! That so many people's property and lives are at risk, including the firefighters'. And all because of insane tree-huggers, and the Democrats refusal to allow logging or logging roads. It's simply unbelievable that we've allowed those idiots ANY say about our safety and property!
52 posted on 07/20/2002 6:29:57 AM PDT by WaterDragon
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To: AuntB
Hey AuntB, haven't seen you around for a long, long time. You express the feelings and thoughts of many who have been put out of work by this group of know-it-all, UN following, anti-American wackos.
I wonder sometimes about the intent of these people and how they are able to control our elected officials in order to shut down so many occupations in this country.
Our elected officials seem out of step with their constituents when it comes to enviromental policy. I also wonder how the enviromentalists are able to use our tax money to sue us. Our elected officials seem powerless in this area.
53 posted on 07/20/2002 6:36:55 AM PDT by tillacum
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To: tillacum
You are doing nothing wrong.

I post the geomap, and it is fine. A few minutes later they post an update and drop the link that I posted.

Try going directly to the GeoMap site, (GeoMap Link) and when you are there. You can go to the current fires and find the current GeoMap in the Current Wildfire Section.

54 posted on 07/20/2002 7:33:35 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: Grampa Dave
Thanks Grampa, I'll do that.
55 posted on 07/20/2002 7:45:58 AM PDT by tillacum
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To: AuntB
I understand your anger.

Yesterday afternoon I went to our local flyshop for something that I didn't need.

I meet a young 30 something guy who was headed for Montana, and we got talking about the fires in Oregon. He went ballastic and said all enviros should be in leg chains fighting these fires. A friend came up, and he had been planning to fly fish the Deschutes next week for about 10 days. He cancelled that trip and came in to book a trip to BC. He was even more adamant and hostile.

One of the elite Club Sierra Eco Fascists came in said that we were all liars. We invited him out to the parking lot to say that. My friend who is rather big guy at about 6'4", tapped this creep on the chest and said, "You had best keep your f******* mouth shut and take your Club Sierra sticker off your new Jeep Cherokee (example of two faced Bravo Sierra from these clowns). Then, he said that if the SC creep still wanted to meet him in the parking lot to go on out, and he would gladly meet him. However, he would give him five minutes to get going.

The creep left and slithered into its new White Jeep Cherokee with the Club Sierra Sticker on the back bumper with the Cal Trout and Oregon Trout Stickers.

This happened over 400 miles from the nearest Oregon fire. I can imagine the anger of the innocent Oregonians caught in the Rural Cleansing by Fire Tool of the Eco Fascists!

Stay safe!
56 posted on 07/20/2002 7:47:44 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: AlguyA; AuntB
You need to read AuntB's replies on this thread and then freep mail her for the latest. She lives in smoky Medford.
57 posted on 07/20/2002 7:49:27 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: EBUCK
I believe that fire picture is free to use in any manner. The photographer wants that picture to be seen by as many people as possible.
58 posted on 07/20/2002 7:51:35 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: WaterDragon
Water Dragon posted, Incredible! That so many people's property and lives are at risk, including the firefighters'. And all because of insane tree-huggers, and the Democrats refusal to allow logging or logging roads. It's simply unbelievable that we've allowed those idiots ANY say about our safety and property

WaterDragon, this shows the arrogance and hatred of rural Americans by this enviral watermelon POS congress it from Washington: (Arrogant enviral POS Congressit wants more road closures in midst of the West burning up)

Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Washington, announced plans to enforce President Clinton’s flawed roadless rule – which is in federal litigation – through an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill. The amendment would have prohibited federal funding for forest management activity in the 57 million acres of federal forestland that President Clinton proclaimed as roadless in a hasty administrative order in the waning days of his presidency.

The amendment would have prohibited several fire prevention activities, including the use of backfires, which has been successful in saving western towns threatened by looming fire this season. The U.S. Forest Service has reported that more than a third of the land in the roadless area -- 22 million acres – is at moderate to high risk for forest fire during one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in recent memory.

This enviral POS should be arrested and sent out of our country for daring to endanger millions of innocent Americas. He makes OBL and his al Qaeda thugs/terrorists look like pikers.

Arrest this Enviral POS and send him to Gitmo for the safety of rural Americans. He is a waste of air and space.

59 posted on 07/20/2002 8:01:05 AM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: Grampa Dave
Elections are coming up.

DUMP THE DEMOCRATS!

60 posted on 07/20/2002 8:04:08 AM PDT by WaterDragon
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