Replies

This is the latest from KGW TV. They don't have an update this morning yet:

Lightning Strikes Have Firefighters on Edge
07/25/2002

By ABE ESTIMADA, kgw.com Staff

A wildfire outside of The Dalles exploded out of control late Thursday, and fire officials were recommending that outlying residents begin evacuating.

The Sheldon Ridge Fire was menacing homes on its northeast corner. Wasco County urged residents living on Wells Road, Upper Cherry Heights Road and Brown Creek Road to flee. The area encompasses more than three miles.

The Portland Fire Bureau also was sending 16 firefighters to battle the fire, along with three fire engines. Gresham also was sending an engine, and Corbett was sending a water tender.

Throughout the day, lightning strikes and threatening winds had kept fire officials on high alert across eastern and central Oregon.

The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland recorded about 900 lightning strikes between 6 a.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday, said spokesman David Widmark.

The coordination center is focusing its aerial, satellite and ground surveillance on eastern Oregon around the Blue Mountains and an area of Oregon between Bend and The Dalles.

“When these lightning strikes go through, we track them on radar,” Widmark said. “We know where they’re at. That’s where we send observation aircraft and initial attack crews to go and patrol this area.”

The trouble is, lightning-sparked fires can smolder undetected for days or even weeks. When the humidity is low and the heat is high, “that sucker’ll kick off,” Widmark said.

A Sikorsky helicopter maneuvers over smoke-filled trees on the Cache Mountain Fire while battling one of Oregon's newest wildfires near Sisters. (AP Photo)

That scenario has played repeatedly this fire season. Thirteen major fires are burning 220,000 acres in Oregon (see map below).

Some 250,000 acres are ablaze in Oregon and Washington. About 10,379 firefighters are in Oregon battling the blazes.

The 2002 fire season, which is turning out to be worse than last year's, has cost about $55 million. Widmark warned the fire season will likely extend into mid-September.

When fire officials aren’t worrying about lightning, they’re concerned about the wind, which whip small blazes into infernos.

A lot of it is headed for eastern Oregon this afternoon, said Bruce Sussman, a KGW meteorologist.

Cooler temperatures washing in from the Pacific Ocean are driving winds to the east. Gusts could go to 30 miles per hour, Sussman said.

The good news is that cooler temperatures will aid firefighters, and the thunderstorms should taper off by this weekend.

Until then, firefighters aren’t “getting a break from the thunderstorms like they did (Wednesday) morning,” Sussman said. “They’re happening right now.”

Sheldon Ridge

The coordination center is mustering firefighters about six miles south of Mosier, Oregon to battle the 150 acre Sheldon Ridge wildfire. Because the fire could menace 400 homes if it isn't controlled, Sheldon Ridge is the No. 1 concern for fire officials.

So far, the wildfire is threatening up to 15 cabins. Lightning started the Sheldon Ridge blaze on Wednesday.