Oregon Firefighters set own blazes in bid to corral wildfires

Oregon Live ^ | 08/01/02 | ALEX PULASKI and BETH QUINN

[Grampa Dave]

Firefighters set own blazes in bid to corral wildfires

08/01/02

ALEX PULASKI and BETH QUINN

SELMA -- A column of thick smoke reared its head near this Southwest Oregon town at sundown Wednesday, proof that firefighters had begun an important counterattack.

From Our Advertiser

Bulldozer operators and hand crews had spent two days stitching together a 30-mile line in the dirt, but until Wednesday night, fickle winds had prevented them from setting their own fires to protect Oregon's Illinois Valley.

"The wind has just been too squirrelly," spokesman Tom Valluzzi said.

As incident commander Mike Lohrey explained to residents Tuesday night, the strategy against the approximately 183,000-acre Florence and Sour Biscuit fires is to use controlled burns to seal off the U.S. 199 corridor from the flames.

As winds and temperatures subsided Wednesday night, hillsides west of Selma began to glow with the newly set defensive fires designed to halt the main fire's advance by robbing it of fuel.

Shifting winds had kept daytime crews from setting fires that might turn on them and overrun Selma, which is about 20 miles southwest of Grants Pass, or nearby communities.

The 17,000 residents of the Illinois Valley are under a 30-minute evacuation alert, which means they have been asked to be ready to leave as soon as they are notified, although emergency workers intend to start the evacuation 12 to 24 hours ahead of the fire.

Hoaxers pretending to be civilians deputized by the Josephine County sheriff's department have been knocking on doors telling residents to leave immediately.

Officials said that the evacuation will be broadcast on local radio stations and that officials charged with notifying individual residents will be police officers or firefighters in uniform, driving emergency vehicles.

By today, the Illinois Valley will be sprouting new yellow signs spelling out in black: Escape Route. Oregon Department of Transportation officials plan to make U.S. 199 one way with two lanes heading north, and Oregon State Police and National Guard troops will be stationed at key intersections to allow traffic to enter from side roads. No one will be allowed to return.

The buffer against populated areas on the fire's east is the focus, but fire behavior analyst Erik Christiansen cautioned Wednesday that "the west side and the south side, we just don't have a handle on.

The new elite fire management team slated to take over the west side of the Florence fire near the Rogue River by Sunday could have its hands full.

"There could be some problems in Agness," said Lohrey, who noted that the blaze is burning within five miles of Bear Camp Road. "We've got quite a cushion over there, and we are assessing that today."

Fire officials have already closed the popular backcountry route between Grants Pass and Gold Beach to motor homes and trailers.

"They will close it to all traffic if that threat continues," Lohrey said.

From the air, the most visible fire activity for the past couple of days has been plumes rising about seven miles west of Selma. The fire was not as active Wednesday as it was during the weekend. But a curtain of smoke hangs from there south 25 miles to the California border and beyond, obscuring much of the 180,000-acre Kalmiopsis Wilderness.

"The wilderness is burning," Christiansen said. "We can't fight fire in there. It's too rugged."

Should the Florence fire reach Agness, Biscuit complex blazes will have torched portions of four of the nation's wild and scenic river areas. The Florence fire has already burned sections along the Chetco and Illinois rivers in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, including both sides of the river at the Illinois' famed white-water rapid, Submarine Hole.

The Sour Biscuit and Florence fires were still thought to be separated by two to three miles Wednesday.

"Every day they say they're going to run together, but there's an old burn there that keeps slowing it down," said John Fowler, planning section chief on the Sour Biscuit fire.

The Sour Biscuit fire has blackened areas along the Smith River in California's Six Rivers National Forest.

Sour Biscuit incident commander Paul Broyles said his crews will be ready to burn out a safety line along their end of the 30-mile "last ditch" bulldozer line when similar work is completed on the Florence fire to the north.

"We'll have one, hopefully, seamless east side," he said.

Fire experts warned that successful backfires alone won't protect threatened homes and communities because conditions still exist for a return of plume-dominated fire that could shoot spot blazes two to three miles ahead.

"Just the fact that we get the line in and black doesn't mean the Illinois Valley is safe," said Greg Gilpin of the Oregon Department of Forestry.

If either fire makes a run toward town, the air attack would include retardant bombers, and helicopters currently dropping water would switch to retardant drops.

"Air tanker support is available to us if we needed to get that in here," he said. "And we have the ability to get retardant into the ships we have."

Structural fire crews continued preparing against the possibility of the fire jumping lines by assessing and mapping homes and clearing away brush and trees from residences.

Ron Brood, 66, watched Wednesday as crews chain-sawed through junipers, muggo pines and ponderosa behind his home southwest of Selma.

"I thought if it was green it wouldn't be a problem," Brood said of trees and brush in his yard.

Nearby, on the eastern edge of Eight Dollar Mountain, bulldozer operator Chad Oilar pushed through foxtail and brush to cut a secondary defense line in case the primary line west of the mountain fails.

There's a special concern in Selma, which stands in the shadow of Eight Dollar Mountain, that the fire could enter the valley there.

"If it's going to come out, I'm predicting it's going to come out there to the valley floor," said Tony Sciacca of the operations team managing the Florence fire.

As of Wednesday morning, the fire was creeping down slopes one to two feet per minute, with 1- to 2-foot flames, but running up slopes at 70 to 80 feet per minute with 8-foot flames, said Christiansen, the fire behavior analyst. The fire was still six miles from the valley communities, but fire managers were wary because earlier this week the fire was moving one mile an hour, covering eight miles on Sunday alone.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping and kind words Snow Bunny!

[tubebender]

GP, First Wife and I are on our way to a roasted pig dinner and fund raiser for ROB BROWN(R) for the First Assembly Dist on the North Coast. If the Green pulls enough votes from Lib Patty Berg we can pick up a seat in Sac.

[Granof8]

Thursday,
August 1,
2002
6:00 AM
Sour Biscuit Fire-Zone 1
Contact: Jeff Gildehaus
Fire Info Hotline: (541) 592-1029
FAX: (541) 592-1006
Gold Beach/Brookings Contact: Skye Sieber Phone: (541) 247-3653
What: Lightning Caused Wildfire
Started: July 13, 2002


General Location: 17 miles southwest of Cave Junction, OR

Current Size: Oregon (Zone 1): 17,072 Acres

Lat: 42 Deg. 2’ 17” Long: 123 Deg. 56’ 33”

Containment: 5%
Expected Containment Date: Unknown


Resources Threatened: Kalmiopsis Wilderness, Smith River National Wild and Scenic River, Port Orford Cedar and Arabis MacDonaldiana plant species.

Structures Threatened: 1 residence, 2 outbuildings

Injuries: 0 today, 2 total for incident

Jurisdictions: Zone 1 - USDA-Forest Service, Region 6, Siskiyou National Forest Zone 2 - USDA-Forest Service, Region 5, Six Rivers National Forest

Other Cooperating Agencies: Oregon Dept. of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, County Rural Fire Protection Districts, Emergency Operations Center.

Road Closures: Highway 199 is closed from the Oregon/California border to Hiouchi, CA due to the Shelley Creek Fire northeast of Gasquet, CA. All Siskiyou National Forest roads leading into Sour Biscuit Zone 1 are closed to public use.

Todays’ Remarks: The responsibility of the Sour Biscuit Fire has been divided. The Broyles Type II Interagency Incident Management Team (IMT) from the Great Basin Idaho Zone is assigned to the portion in Oregon now called Zone 1. Bennett’s Type 1 team will manage the southern (California) portion of the fire, called Zone 2.

Ten 20-person hand crews, eleven engines, nine dozers, seven water tenders and six medium helicopters continue constructing fire-line on the east side of Zone 1. The line is being constructed to the north to connect with a fire-line coming south from the Florence Fire. The two fires are less than two miles apart. Four 20-person hand crews from Sour Biscuit are temporarily assigned to the Florence Fire. Residents in the Illinois Valley are under a 30-minute evacuation notice advisory.

Resources on the fire: Fourteen Type Two Crews, Eleven Engines, Nine Dozers, Seven Water Tenders, Six Medium Helicopters. 456 total people.

[Grampa Dave]

Drop NIMC a freep mail and ask him to create a bumper sticker saying Drop Berg/ Vote Green.

You can go in with a few creative conservatives and make a few hundred of these.

Then you can put a card table out in front of a soy burger place that takes food stamps. The old green drugged out hippies would probably pay you for these stickers. Come up with some story that Berg supports Davis in the Tosco oil refinery pollution scandal.

Wear a tie dyed shirt and birkenstocks with jeans that have a lot of holes in them. Talk hippy and green. Remember every vote the green candidate gets is one less for Berg! Find some old Nader buttons to wear on your hemp hats.

[Grampa Dave]

Good report!

Stroll down to the fair grounds and talk to some the guys and gals firefighters to get a handle on what they will be doing.

I have a feeling as all the effort so far has been on the South and SE sides of the circle/oval that the Florence Fire is.

That means nothing has been done on the West and North ends of this big blaze. Fires will burn down hill to the Ocean or River if the winds come from off shore.

All that is needed is a couple of those Banana Belt Days for the Brookings/Gold Beach area with the hot dry air rushing down hill to the ocean to start one hell of a big fire to the west and then push it north to Agness.

[justshe]

Well......re: Daschle, I guess we shall have to wait and see. It is signed into law now. Which is why the GOP is pushing the same for all states.

Interesting perspective on the USFS. And I have NO doubt that many of the positions, under Clinton, were exactly as you state. And might still be today. I have learned to quickly distrust anyone with an --ologist behind their name.

My perspective is from the lower echelons.....on the District/Supervisor's Office level--WAY outside D.C. Where people still sweat out each new court decision. And yes.......gather all the evidence to meet some new court challenge (including trying to gather data on a fungus that is on the Endangered Species list---but it only grows once every seven years). Or spend 6 months doing cultural analysis/NEPA etc. in order to dig a hole (because the courts tell them they have to---and if you DON'T, you'll get sued). Where budgets have shrunk to the point that some 'good people' are working themselves to death to meet deadlines/job requirements/etc. that are simply impossible with the staff available. I'm sure the hate-gov crowd will see nothing wrong with that. Because you know........ALL government workers are scum. Makes me wonder sometimes why the 'good ones' even care any more. Because many of them DO care.

I did hear an interesting tidbit today...which is...the Bush Adminstration has directed ALL line supervisors etc. to make sure every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed in order to give NO reason for the enviros to file suit, thus keeping the court system out of the area of making policy. Guess they didn't get the message that they were supposed to WELCOME these lawsuits.

Anyway...will log off now. I think this is not an area in which my perspective is welcome or appreciated. You see, I am married to one of those US FLorist Service people. And he IS one of the good ones......as are most who work here with him.

[justshe]

GD...do you have an email addy for Lars? I tried www.larslarson.com, but that site is down also, apparently.

Thanks.

[Carry_Okie]

I did hear an interesting tidbit today...which is...the Bush Adminstration has directed ALL line supervisors etc. to make sure every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed in order to give NO reason for the enviros to file suit, thus keeping the court system out of the area of making policy. Guess they didn't get the message that they were supposed to WELCOME these lawsuits.

Most people on the line aren't the USFS staff lawyers, are they? I'm talking primarily about FSEEE.

Anyway...will log off now. I think this is not an area in which my perspective is welcome or appreciated. You see, I am married to one of those US FLorist Service people. And he IS one of the good ones......as are most who work here with him.

I am more familiar with "your perspective" than you realize. I am a forest landowner in California. If you had seen as much stupid injustice out of regulators as I have, outright fraud on the part of agency biologists, the predetermined "consensus opinons" of "stakeholders" over roadless areas, snag removal, or burning regulations ALL with the blessing of USFS bureaucrats, you would understand what I am telling you. It's too bad for your husband that he has to tolerate the paperwork and can't do his real job, but unless he puts that job on the line over principle, I don't want to hear about it. People in private industry (including me) have to do that too, and often at far higher risk than civil servants. I have risked my life for my forest. I have dropped my carreer to fix the regulatory problem and I may never see a dime for it. I'm sorry you feel as you do, but I don't often see that kind of commitment out of the employees of State agencies.

[dixiechick2000]

I'll try to find a link for you. I'll be back.

[dixiechick2000]

http://www.kxl.com/personalities.asp?ID=4

[Granof8]

PILOT NEWS ALERT:
THURSDAY EVENING FIRE UPDATE

Published: August 1, 2002

Dear readers:

No new alerts or evacuatios notices have been announced today.


Curry Coastal Pilot staff writer Brian Bullock spent Thursday at the West Florence Fire Camp in Gold Beach, and up the Rogue River at Agness and Oak Flat. Watch for his full report in Saturday's edition of the Curry Coastal Pilot. In the meantime, here are a few of his notes:


The Florence Fire has set a precedent for classification of wildland blazes. Weekend conditions which drove the fire so far north earned the blaze an "Advanced Extreme" designation. The previous range only went to "extreme."


Firefighters were using favorable conditions Thursday to construct three separate fire lines between the north end of the fire and Oak Flat. FIre Information Officer Rick Hartigan said teams were utilizing the fire line from the Silver Fire of 1987, another new fire line and a third around structures in the Oak Flat area.


Conditions early Thursday were favorable for the firefighting effort. Mild winds were shifting from the northeast, north and northwest, pushing it back toward its origin.


Crews were doing evaulation and triage around structures, Hartigan said. Tree fallers were also operating in the Oak Flat area early Thursday. Hartigan said crews were in the Wilderness Retreat area and doing evaluation and triage in the Upper Chetco River area.


While calm and clear skies were visible in Agness early Thursday, a large plume of smoke rose into the sky about 2 p.m., reminding area residents of the fire's presence.


Hartigan said he expects portions of the fire to burn until the autumn rains fall. "It won't be put out. We may be able to contain it from the residential areas, but this won't be out for a long time," Hartigan said.


Bend Bulletin staff writer Melissa Bearns, who has covered three other forest fires this summer, spent the day with fire crews in the Illinois Valley. Watch for her report Friday morning at www.bendbulletin.com. In the meantime, she shared some thoughts of her day:


The firefighters successfully created a burnout between Squaw Mountain and Illinois Valley Road overnight, and continued fortifying the bulldozer line being created along the east flank of the Florence Fire.


Fear and anxiety hung in the mood of valley residents, just like the smoke hangs in the mountains.


There are a lot of homesteaders who are determined not to leave. People are packed and ready to go, but are getting used to living with the constant presence of the fire. The weather has done a lot to lift people's spirit of optimism -- the hot and humid still air means the fire won't move any closer.


Fire crews usually do burnouts at night when the wind dies down; they've been able to burn-out all day Thursday to work south along the dozer line.


Some other random notes:


-- The Forest Service expects to close all forest roads south of the Rogue River, to clear the way for firefighters.


-- An informational meeting is being planned for Brookings-area residents later in the week, but no time or place has been set.


-- Highway 199 remains closed between Gasquet and the California border, because of the Shelly Creek Fire near Patrick's Creek Lodge. Traffic on Bear Camp Road between Agness and Galice is being limited to passenger vehicles for safety reasons.


-- Illinois Valley residents remain under the possibility of a 30-minute evacuation notice because of the east flank of the Florence Fire.


-- All open burning has been banned in Coos, Curry and western Douglas counties by the Coos Forest Protetie Association.


-- Fire wardens are working with residents in the rural areas of Brookings to create defensible space around their homes, as a precautionary measure.


-- The Curry County Commissioners have designated Chip Weinert (541-247-3272) as the resource management person for the county in this emergency. It's his job to match up resources and needs, such as space for animals, equipment needs, or volunteer help.


The Pilot, the Daily Triplicate and the Bend Bulletin are teaming up to provide special coverage of the fire in Saturday's edition of the Curry Coastal Pilot.


In the meantime, The Pilot will continue issuing twice-daily e-mail updates, with special News Alerts about any special events. Look for links to fire information Web sites from our Web site at www.currypilot.com


Thanks for using the online services of the Curry Coastal Pilot.

Charles Kocher

Publisher

[dixiechick2000]

"In an effort to stop this environmentally destructive and fiscally irresponsible practice, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Congressman Leach (R-IA) introduced the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act (HR 2789)."

AuntB, I can't tell you how surprised and disappointed I am in Rep. Leach. Thanks for the information.
Stay safe and, please, check in here every now and again to let us know you are okay.

[justshe]

****It's too bad for your husband that he has to tolerate the paperwork and can't do his real job, but unless he puts that job on the line over principle, I don't want to hear about it.****

How convenient. You know, you may have had a very bad experience with many bureaucrats...but that doesn't make all gov. workers bad. And, considering he's done his part to HELP people, to fight fires, been shot at by enviros, cut into spiked trees, and put HIS life on the line to protect those who could give a rat's tush for HIS safety, I'll be sure to pass on your Thanks.

No offense, Carry, but he is 4 years away from retirement ....and HE deserves some THANKS....and appreciation. It's funny.......how hated he (as a USFS employee) is from ALL sides.
Not all government workers are evil. And your over-generalization is sad....really sad.

I am sorry you have had nothing but negative experiences. That is truly unfortunate. I mean that sincerely. But I think you are painting ALL as bad... for the actions of some. I am a native Oregonian. I've lived thru most of the experiences you discuss. But that didn't poison me against ALL....for the actions of some.

Oh......that's right. You didn't want to hear about it. Sorry.

[justshe]

Thanks dixiechick.

That is the website I have too......but it STILL must be down. Or else my ISP doesn't like it.....lol.

[dixiechick2000]

Try larslarson@kxl.com.

Good luck!

[justshe]

You're an angel! Thanks!

[dixiechick2000]

Your welcome.
I just hope it works...heheh!;o)

[Granof8]

Current Incident Facts
Florence Fire

(Updated: 08/01/02 at 7:00 pm Pacific DST)

Size: 164,000 acres
Percent Contained (all fires) 5%
Date of Origin: 07/13/02
Cause: Lightning
Number of Personnel on Incident: 1,313

[Salvation]

WND still evacuated due to 'hellacious' blaze
187,000-acre conflagration No. 1 firefighting effort in nation

---

Posted: August 2, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

SELMA, Ore. – "The nation's top priority in firefighting" is how officials are now describing Southern Oregon's still-uncontrolled "Florence fire," which has consumed 150,000 acres of pristine forestland and is now raging on the outskirts of Selma, causing many homeowners and business to evacuate, including WorldNetDaily's corporate headquarters.

Ignited by lightning more than two weeks ago, the Florence fire, which one firefighter called "hellacious," is mere miles away from a second wildfire, dubbed "Sour Biscuit," which to date has consumed about 37,000 acres. Firefighters expect the two fires to merge imminently, referring to the conjoined conflagration as the "Biscuit Complex."

Currently, the Illinois Valley's 17,000 residents are on 30-minute evacuation stand-by.

Mandatory evacuation of that many people, which officials fear would clog the two-lane Highway 199 ("Redwood Highway"), would be triggered if the fire breaches the 30-mile trench dug by a dozen bulldozers west of the highway – literally a "last-ditch" effort to stop the blaze from jumping the fire line and reaching the populated valley floor.

Sunday night, WND personnel removed all vital equipment, computers and data from the company's rural headquarters.

"We appreciate the many inquiries we've received from concerned readers about our well-being," said Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily's editor and CEO. "Our administrative functions and store are still evacuated out of harm's way, and we're hoping and praying for the best."

The editorial and production side of the business, already widely decentralized, have not been adversely affected by the fire. However, the administrative offices, including customer service lines, will likely remain down until the danger has passed.

"We are looking at the fire at this time as uncontrollable," the Oregon Department of Forestry's Greg Gilpin said yesterday, according to a CBS News report, which reported that unfavorable winds had prevented firefighters from lighting off backfires during the night to reinforce their primary fire line. Another 100 miles of line reportedly must be built to control the "Biscuit Complex" fire.

In the last few days, many residents here have left the Illinois Valley with their belongings. Hotels and motels in Grants Pass, 20 miles to the north of Selma, are reportedly full.

---

[PoisedWoman]

Thanks for update on Patrick Creek Lodge. Please let me know of any further developments.

I travel a lot, and certain little corners of the world end up being memorable and very special to me. This is one of them.