Flames force evacuations in The Dalles, (East of Portland, Oregon)

Oregon Live/ AP ^ | 27 Ju;y 2002, 3:27 AM | Andrew Kramer

[Grampa Dave]

Flames force evacuations in The Dalles

By ANDREW KRAMER The Associated Press 7/27/02 3:27 AM

THE DALLES, Ore. (AP) -- A contingent of 125 Oregon National Guard troops headed for the Columbia River Gorge Saturday to help fight a 6,000-acre wildfire threatening 270 homes.

The Sheldon Ridge fire spewed smoke over The Dalles and burned to within a few feet of some homes perched on the hillsides, some with dramatic views of the river and Mount Hood.

Firefighters parked their red and yellow engines in driveways with lights flashing and prepared to fight house to house if the fire picked up. Gusty winds whistling through the gorge remained a key concern.

In one instance firemen pried wood siding from a threatened home to protect it from the advancing flames.

A few outbuildings were destroyed Friday but no homes were lost. City workers in The Dalles abandoned the water treatment plant, taking with them chlorine and other potentially dangerous materials.

Anita Carothes, 38, a resident whose house was about a mile from the fire Friday afternoon, said the blaze frightened her. The south edge of the fire lay in clear view from her backyard. Jets of red flame from crowning trees and bursts of gray and brown smoke rose from a hillside.

"I was scared. I was crying," she said. "My husband assured me it would be OK."

Carothes walked to the edge of her lawn and watched a huge, dual-rotor helicopter chug through swirling smoke and dump a bucket of water.

Gov. John Kitzhaber met with fire commanders and toured the fire in a military helicopter Friday. The Sheldon Ridge fire was considered the most dangerous of 16 major fires burning in the state, he said.

"This is a very, very serious situation for the state in terms of risk for property and life," Kitzhaber said of the fires.

"I think we're OK from the manpower standpoint, but our biggest deficit now is air power," Kitzhaber said.

About 125 Oregon national Guard troops were to join firefighters at the Sheldon Ridge fire Saturday

The Sheldon Ridge fire got away from four crews that had it 95 percent contained Thursday morning. It grew from 150 acres to more than 5,000 acres in a few hours. That was partly because aerial tankers were redirected to the 5,000-acre White River Fire burning near Maupin in Wasco County. That fire had threatened several homes, said incident commander Tim Keith.

"It was the right thing to do" at the time, he said, speaking about redirecting tankers.

The now-larger Sheldon Ridge fire damaged one home Friday, and warnings and advisories for evacuation remained in effect for 270 homes. About 800 firefighters are working on the fire. City firefighter from Portland, Salem and Polk County had been called in to help.

Flames crept over rolling hills and made runs up steep, wooded hillsides Friday. Sometimes, the flames burned past buildings, leaving pockets of grass and trees intact around a home in an otherwise charred landscape.

As flames burned through a stand of pine toward one house firefighters parked a yellow engine in the driveway and prepared their hoses.

Then a helicopter flew over for a look but didn't dump its bucket of water.

Finally, the crew used a bulldozer to cut a fire break between the house and the flames.

A trailer drove up, the dozer rattled off and then headed straight up a steep, wooded hillside in a cloud of dust, making loud clanging noises.

"That should do it," said State Fire Marshal spokesman Jaime Karn.

Meanwhile the Skunk Fire in Klamath County grew to 1,700 acres about 17 miles southeast of Chiloquin, where it threatened two unincoporated subdivisions.

A total of 16 major fires, all started by lightning, were burning across 233,000 acres in Oregon, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. More than 10,000 firefighters battled the blazes.

Also of major concern were the 1,120 acre North Umpqua Complex in southwestern Oregon and the 15,880 Biscuit-Florence Fire southwest of Cave Junction.

The 20,000 White River fire threatened the Deschutes River canyon south of Maupin. The river from the city park to Shearar's Falls seven miles downstream was closed to whitewater rafters. The fire was about a mile from Maupin on Friday.

[ward_of_the_state]

This is such a shame. Oregon is a beautiful state and I just hate to see this happening.

[blackie]

If you're on a motorcycle you can fill your own tank, in fact they insist. :o)

You can also pump your own if you have a cardlock card, like CFN, etc...

[Grampa Dave]

Da$$hole makes dysfunctional look about normal.

He and the dirty dozen enviral rat senators, including the two from my state, Boxer and Chifi Frankenstein are criminals as they have aided abetted the criminal green agendas for over a decade.

[blackie]

Yep, you're addicted... :o)

[ward_of_the_state]

I'll keep that in mind if I ever make it out there again. Another great one is Norma's Seafood House in Seaside. I love Seaside!

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks, that is a great find and thanks for posting the latest re the fires.

Please post it when we have new threads in the future on the burning of Oregon.

[Grampa Dave]

That great Bandon Restaurant is the Bandon Boatworks.

They apparently have standing contracts with some local fishers to provide snapper, calamari and other goodies. These fishers bring the fresh fish right to the restaurant. They get their oysters delivered by the oyster farm on the other side of town, and the seafood wholesaler in Bandon sends its delivery trucks to drop off fresh seafood about twice a day. Their homebake cranberry bread is to kill for.

The two good restaurants in town are: Lord Bennett's (great local lamb and seafood) and The Wheelhouse Restaurant for seafood.

The bakery I mentioned before is now called the Bandon Bakery and Deli in the heart of old towne Bandon on 2nd street.

In old town, there is an old fashioned candy/fudge store where they make the candy and fudge right on site and you can sample all that you want.

Then, for the best cheese on the West Coast, go to Bandon Cheese on 101. We take a cooler up with us to buy the cheese to take back to a condo and keep and then bring it home. They sample every cheese sold, and they are great!

[Grampa Dave]

Yeah, I'm addicted. I about killed myself yesterday in the heat and fighting the high water on the American River in Sacramento and got home at 9:30 pm.

My oldest son just called and is heading up here with his boat. We will be going out to fishing the incoming high tide this afternoon early evening to fish for the local small Stripped Bass that are in the river. Will do that for about 5-6 hours this afternoon. I will have to cast left handed after yesterday.

He is headed for Cabos Mexico later next week. Mexico has been incredible fly fishing for the past 2-3 years. This is his second trip this year. He is so good, other people pay his way, his hotel bill and buy him the meals just to have him around to manage the show. Another newly addicted friend just got back, and we had his wonderful el Dorado the other night, Baja style.

Our grand daughter has been bugging her father, our really addicted son to go back to Mexico for more Rado's. She loves Dorado Tacos, and they finished their last batch while we visited a few weeks ago. He grilled the fish, then the tortillas while his wife got the fresh toppings ready. We ate them on their deck table about 6 feet from his grill. A few Coronas for the men and margaritas for the gals and virgin margaritas for the grand kids. It was a great Father's Day, and my wife enjoyed it.

[blackie]

As yes, Stripper's, we use catch the hell out them at Frank's Tract and also near Benica and the Carquinez Straits.


When the Stripper's weren't hitting in the Delta, we'd catch a batch of Cats...I love Catfish, hush puppies and hominy... :o)

Your Father's Day meal sounds great and it was neat that your wife enjoyed it too... :o)

If you get to Eugene, drop in, we'd love to have you for a visit!

[RightWhale]

Weather in Interior Alaska is cooler and wetter. In fact, we are wetter than in the past ten years. Temperatures are about normal, 50-70 daily. Fire season might not be over, but we're past the peak and might avoid burning the place down for another year. All our smokejumpers would be down in the Northwest by now.

[Issaquahking]

Al-Quaida's American Taliban - the Greenies. We need to file massive lawsuits against the green groups (TNC, Sierra Club,Center for Biodiversity, Tom Dashole and the 50, etc...) for their stopping of logging to assist America in trying to get the woods back in shape.

How soon before the rest of America takes up arms against these POS's?

[Issaquahking]

Reminds me of last year when we were all at Klamath Falls....Stole the water from the farmer. This year they burn the forests up. Reminds me of a song on the Klamathbasincrisis.org webpage called "Kill the Land". Makes me ask how it is again the greens are protecting the forests?

[Issaquahking]

Ping for all.....

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

Hey Rocky - can't even see the sunset in the basin tonight.

[SierraWasp]

"The river from the city park to Shearar's Falls seven miles downstream was closed to whitewater rafters."

Awwwwwwwww Geeeeeeeeeee!!! That's awful!!!(/sourchasm)

[SierraWasp]

"Ping for all....."

Don't yew guys be pingin any of them whitewater rafters!!! That industry is WAY more important than any other beins its an ECO-TOURISM industry!(/dripping saurcasm)

[Ditter]

I hate to hear that this area is burning. We drove up the gorge from the ocean to The Dalles a few years ago & I loved the whole area.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

I've got an eco tourism industry for them!

That sickens Bunker as well. My eco tourism involves killing fish and animals in the eco system I visit.