[jaz.357]

How close is the fire to Grants Pass? My Dad just moved up from LA.

[EBUCK]

Pretty close (lower left near 199)...better give him a call to see how he's doin.

EBUCK

[Grampa Dave]

He is safe right now (as far as I know). He needs to be aware of how fast these fires can spread. Grants Pass gets very warm in the summer time and is far enough inland to become a a tinder box.

He needs to keep an eye on the Biscuit Complex Fire in the wilderness area of the Illinois River/Cave Junction Area. That is SW of Grants Pass on 199. It is burning out of control as there are basically no roads into that Druid Super Heaven, the Siskiyou Wilderness.

That area west of Grants Pass, has a lot of timber and a lot of timber/brush and other tinder boxes created by the eco facists the past 8 years.

He needs to have a couple of escape routes planned out. Like going north on I5 or south on I5 if there aren't fires there. If I lived in that area, I would head to the coast for the next week or so. He can check out 199 re the Biscuit Fire or go up I5 to the Drain exit and head for the coast. Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings are very nice at this time of the year.

People in that area should keep a case of bottled water per person, granola bars and other snacks, sleeping bags, a weeks change of clothes, any medicine they need for a week or so in their cars/trucks/suvs with family treasures ready to go. Never get below a 1/2 tank of gas. Flashlights with spare batteries and a portable radio that runs on batteries for news should be part of the summer package this summer.

If he has respiratory problems, he should just go to the coast until this phase is over.

Good Luck!

[Grampa Dave]

More info for you and your Dad in Grants Pass: Please go to the latest link and update on Oregon Wildfires: (Latest Oregon Wildfire Update Link)

[Sir_Ed]

It's pretty far from Grants Pass, 30 miles west, then 17 more, so...he's alright.

I live in Eagle Point and work in Medford, and they're saying it's under control, so far. But we're s'pposed t'be gettin' in the 100's this week, so it may flare up again.

The best online source may be the Medford Mail Tribune, 30 miles south of GP: http://mailtribune.com/ the Grants Pass Daily Courier has an online prescence, but I don't think they report anything on a daily basis.

Ed