Salem-News.com News Feed for articles tagged with wildfires www.salem-news.com 2013 As of Saturday, the Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona, which began 9 May, has burned about 400,000 acres, making it the second-worst wildfire in the state's history thus far. The fire is five percent contained as of this writing. The state is extremely dry and is at high risk of other wildfires until summer monsoon rains arrive. http://salem-news.com/articles/june122011/arizona-fire.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june122011/arizona-fire.php Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:57:00 PDT The ongoing heat wave has prompted the Oregon Department of Forestry's Western Lane District to raise the fire safety precaution levels across western Lane County and northern Douglas County. Beginning July 30th, most timber harvest activity on the three-quarters of a million acres protected from wildfire by the district will be restricted to the period from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. http://salem-news.com/articles/july302009/lane_fire_danger_7-30-09.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july302009/lane_fire_danger_7-30-09.php Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:21:00 PDT It's hard to underestimate the importance of fire safety in a state like Oregon. This week, in preparation for the upcoming summer fire season, students are learning the finer points of wildland firefighting and honing their skills, until they get it right. Paul Heibert, the incident commander at the wildland firefighter school, says a lot of the work is standardized training. "It's done nationally and we don't have a lot of wiggle room as far as what we teach them. which I'd say is a good thing. So three of the five days we have the mandatory stuff and the rest of it we have some play." http://salem-news.com/articles/june292009/fire_training_gr_jf_6-26-09.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june292009/fire_training_gr_jf_6-26-09.php Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:06:00 PDT Warnings for the Pacific Northwest are dire in a new federal report on climate change. In the works since 2007, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States" compiles years of data from more than a dozen federal agencies. It says Oregon, Washington and Idaho will see hotter temperatures and less water in rivers for fish and wildlife, hydropower, agriculture, wildfire control...and drinking water for people. http://salem-news.com/articles/june172009/climate_changes_6-17-09.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june172009/climate_changes_6-17-09.php Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:39:00 PDT Extremely dry and windy conditions are fueling the Jesusita Fire north of Santa Barbara, California. It marks an early entry for the wildfire season in a state that saw severe damage and loss of life due to wildfires last year. So far the Jesusita Fire has forced the evacuation of more than 13,000 homes. The residents of another 13,000 homes are on evacuation standby. http://salem-news.com/articles/may072009/jesusita_fire_5-7-09.php http://salem-news.com/articles/may072009/jesusita_fire_5-7-09.php Thu, 07 May 2009 12:57:00 PDT A wildfire has forced mandatory evacuations in California Wednesday, while another fire continued to burn out of control in Arizona. Both fires started Tuesday and are currently threatening multiple structures. The California fire, dubbed "The Jesusita Fire," started around 1:50 p.m Tuesday afternoon and quickly spread through the slopes of the San Roque Canyon north of Santa Barbara. http://salem-news.com/articles/may062009/cal_fires_5-6-09.php http://salem-news.com/articles/may062009/cal_fires_5-6-09.php Wed, 06 May 2009 19:11:00 PDT When uncontrolled fires are close to inhabited areas, people are asked to evacuate their homes. Lack of knowledge concerning what to do during a fire leaves some people with no alternative. The United States does not have a lot of experience regarding alternatives to evacuation, but a Washington State University researcher and his doctoral student are studying several Western U.S. communities that have begun to explore opportunities for alternatives to evacuation during wildland fires. "People hate to evacuate," said Matt Carroll, professor in the Department of Natural Resources Sciences. "When asked after an evacuation, many people say they will stay behind next time. There are many reasons for that feeling, you have to give up your autonomy and control over your life when you evacuate." http://salem-news.com/articles/december052008/evac_theory_12-5-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/december052008/evac_theory_12-5-08.php Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:44:00 PST AccuWeather.com reports good news for firefighters today, as Santa Ana winds weaken and high pressure over the Rockies begins to break down. However, the winds will not completely subside as gusts up to 35 mph will be possible in the typically prone areas through midday. These types of winds will still have the possibility of generating new fires and spreading existing fires. Residents should continue to exercise extreme care when dealing with cigarette butts and sparks across Southern California. http://salem-news.com/articles/november172008/cal_fires_update_11-17-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/november172008/cal_fires_update_11-17-08.php Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:47:00 PST Santa Ana winds that developed on Thursday will continue into Sunday in Southern California. They have fueled a raging wildfire that has destroyed at least 100 homes in a celebrity enclave near Montecito, according to AccuWeather.com. The winds began on Thursday as high pressure built over the Intermountain West. By Thursday night, the winds known locally as "sundowners" were gusting to as high as 70 mph through the canyons and passes of Southern California. The winds fed the "Tea Fire" that broke out Thursday evening in the foothills of Montecito, just southeast of Santa Barbara. Associated Press and Fox News Channel report that by this morning, the fast-moving blaze has destroyed as many as 100 luxury homes and parts of a college campus. http://salem-news.com/articles/november142008/santa_ana_fires_11-14-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/november142008/santa_ana_fires_11-14-08.php Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:39:00 PST Climate change in the Northwest is the focus of two federal grants totaling $3.2 million awarded to two University of Oregon researchers. They will work together on a pair of multi-site projects designed to help enhance biodiversity while protecting people and property from wildfires in the face of a changing climate. Scott D. Bridgham, an ecologist in the UO's Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will lead an effort to understand potential threats to prairie ecosystems in Oregon and Washington with a $1.8 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. http://salem-news.com/articles/october212008/uo_climate_10-21-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/october212008/uo_climate_10-21-08.php Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:14:00 PDT ODOT reports that a fire along Camas Creek in southwestern Umatilla County is creating delays for travelers on U.S. Highway 395 between Ukiah and Dale, 50 miles south of Pendleton. Oregon Department of Transportation crews are piloting traffic through the area between mile points 50 and 60, but may need to close the highway if the fire poses a further danger. http://salem-news.com/articles/august152008/pendleton.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august152008/pendleton.php Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:42:00 PDT Dry and hot weather conditions across central and northern California are increasing the difficulty for firefighters. They continue to battle hundreds of wildfires sparked by dry lightning and thunderstorms two weeks ago. So far, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports hundreds of fires have been contained, but hundreds of other fires continue to burn and they now threaten a number of communities. Accuweather.com forecasters report that the fire in Santa Barbara County is threatening as many as 200 homes in Goleta. Farther to the north, the Big Sur fire has scorched more than 60,000 acres, and it is only 3 percent contained at this point. Among the communities and homes threatened by the wildfires, is the historic town of Big Sur and the town of Lucia. The Associated Press reports that authorities ordered the remaining residents of the communities to leave after the out-of-control wildfire jumped a fire line and threatened more homes Wednesday. http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/cal_fires_7-3-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july032008/cal_fires_7-3-08.php Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:29:00 PDT The California National Guard (CNG), with support from National Guard equipment and personnel from various other states is currently providing twelve rotary aircraft, eight fixed-wing aircraft, and more than 200 personnel to assist in extinguishing various northern California wildfires Friday. There are currently 12 rotary-winged aircraft fighting various northern California Wildfires. These include eight aircraft from the CNG and four from other states. http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/guard_fires_6-27-08.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june282008/guard_fires_6-27-08.php Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:29:00 PDT Due to the critical forest fire danger situation facing many parts of the state, Governor Ted Kulongoski has declared a state of emergency and authorized the use of three National Guard helicopters and aviation assets to help respond to the situation. The declaration also allows use of National Guard personnel and equipment to prevent or alleviate damage from the fires. http://salem-news.com/articles/july132007/state_fires_071307.php http://salem-news.com/articles/july132007/state_fires_071307.php Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:40:00 PDT Oregon Department of Forestry announced today that its northwestern Oregon districts will enter fire season on July 5th. Fire season imposes certain restrictions on activities in the forest. Logging operations, for example, are required to have a fire watch present after work activity ceases for the day, and fire suppression equipment must be positioned on site. http://salem-news.com/articles/june292007/fire_season_62907.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june292007/fire_season_62907.php Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:27:00 PDT Once again Oregonians are being warned that it could be a difficult wildfire season. What many area residents seem to forget is that when fire conditions are high in the Oregon woods, they are high in area neighborhoods as well. That is why officials of the Salem Fire Department, and the Keizer Fire District would like to remind residents to be extremely careful with fire and the things that start fires, especially at this dry time of the year. http://salem-news.com/articles/june212007/summer_fire_062107.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june212007/summer_fire_062107.php Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:59:00 PDT Jefferson firefighters responded to a brush fire on Ankeny Hill Rd. east of I-5 next to the Ankeny Hill - I-5 Interchange (Exit 243) at 3:07 PM Wednesday afternoon. According to Asst. Chief Scott Shepherd, the fire was approximately 40 feet by 40 feet and burned thick brush and did spread into some nearby trees and was located on state property. http://salem-news.com/articles/june202007/jefferson_fire_062007.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june202007/jefferson_fire_062007.php Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:20:00 PDT A wildfire on about 2,500 acres of grassland led to the evacuation of some 50 people from a campground near the mouth of the Deschutes River. The fire, was on private and U.S. Bureau of Land Management property. It jumped the Deschutes River, which forms the boundary between Sherman and Wasco counties in north-central Oregon officials said. http://salem-news.com/articles/june182007/oregon_wildfire_061807.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june182007/oregon_wildfire_061807.php Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:43:00 PDT Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the first significant Wildland fire of the season on Government Island in the Columbia River. The first call came in at 5:50 PM and reported a "brush fire 50 feet by 100 feet and starting to catch the trees on fire". The fire was on the east end of the island, on the south side, about a mile from the Glen Jackson Bridge. http://salem-news.com/articles/june142007/portland_fire_061407.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june142007/portland_fire_061407.php Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:42:00 PDT The Biscuit Fire of 2002 burned more severely in areas that had been salvage logged and replanted, compared to similar areas that were also burned in a 1987 fire but had been left to regenerate naturally, a new study concludes. The analysis, one of the first to ever quantify the effect of salvage logging and replanting on future fire severity, is being published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a professional journal, by scientists from Oregon State University and the Pacific Northwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. http://salem-news.com/articles/june132007/biscuit_fire_study_061307.php http://salem-news.com/articles/june132007/biscuit_fire_study_061307.php Wed, 13 Jun 2007 05:30:00 PDT Fire crews were able to contain two small wildfires in Central Oregon on Monday. The fires were located northeast of Sisters. Investigators believe the fires were caused by humans because there hasn't been any lightning strikes recently in the area. http://salem-news.com/articles/may282007/sisters_fires_052807.php http://salem-news.com/articles/may282007/sisters_fires_052807.php Mon, 28 May 2007 18:24:00 PDT Firefighters say that even though dozens of homes have been evacuated, they are making progress in their battle against a wildfire that is consuming the brush-covered hills near the city's historic Griffith Park Observatory. Many people recognize the popular Griffith Observatory from the film Rebel Without a Cause with James Dean, Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood. http://salem-news.com/articles/may092007/la_fire_5907.php http://salem-news.com/articles/may092007/la_fire_5907.php Wed, 09 May 2007 14:25:00 PDT Wildfire smoke concentrations in Enterprise, La Grande, Baker City, Pendleton and adjacent areas of Northeastern Oregon from fires in the Cascades eastward reached the moderate level today, just outside the “good” category, on the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Wildfire Air Quality Rating Scale (WAQR). DEQ reminds area residents – especially those individuals who may be sensitive to smoke – that there are precautions they can take to mitigate breathing problems or other symptoms from smoke. Additionally, there are helpful Web-related tools available that may help individuals determine when to take protective measures. http://salem-news.com/articles/august302006/fire_smoke_83006.php http://salem-news.com/articles/august302006/fire_smoke_83006.php Wed, 30 Aug 2006 02:42:00 PDT