The latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald & News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance.
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Sunny, with a high near 86. East southeast wind around 10 mph. Overnight, patchy smoke after 11pm. Clear, with a low around 49. East wind 6 to 8 mph.
Thursday Widespread smoke, mainly before 11am. Sunny, with a high near 87. Northeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon. Overnight low of 50.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 90.
Sunday Sunny, with a high near 86.
Much of Oregon is on fire. Wildfires are consuming forest lands and now neighborhoods in Southern Oregon. Governor Kate Brown declared a statewide conflaguration yesterday afternoon.
Governor Brown has now declared the Almeda Drive Fire a conflagration in Medford. Governor Brown says “this situation is very dangerous”. The Governor’s declaration authorizes the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal to mobilize resources to assist local resources in battling the fire. The State Fire Marshal has also mobilized the Blue Incident Command team to the fire. They are on their way to southern Oregon right now.
In Southern Oregon fire crews are responding to multiple fires, including the Two for Two Fire west of Chiloquin, The Grizzy Creek fire near Howard Prairie, and major fires in Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Central Point and Eagle Point all on Tuesday, spurred by embers moving in high winds with hot temperatures and dry conditions. Fires are still raging throughout the Rogue Valley today.
Two For Two Fire near Chiloquin
The fire is now over 10,000 acres with 5% estimated containment. The dangerous wildfire, pushed by strong winds through dry grass and timber, continue to take up ground near Chilquin, thereatens hundres of homes and ranches in the area west of Highway 97. The Two Four Two Fire is burning everything in it’s path, forest land, dried grass and brushy areas. Highway 97 is still closed near Chiloquin as of Wednesday at 11:00AM.
KFLS News and BasinLifeMagazine from Wynne Broadcasting has a video and photo tour of the damage so far, on the Basin Life Magazine Facebook page.
It’s growth yesterday was wind-driven, and similar conditions are expected today due to a Red Flag Warning in effect until midnight for strong gusty winds and low relative humidity. Today the fire continues to move in all directions. Multiple structures are threatened. Fire managers are still assessing structures that may have been lost.
U.S. Highway 97 remains closed between Oregon State Highway 62 south of Chiloquin north to the intersection with Forest Road 9732 at Oux Kanee Overlook. Oregon State Highway 422 North is closed between Highway 97 and Oregon State Highway 62. Highway 62 is closed from the junction with Highway 97 north to the State Fish Hatchery. The Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation are handling highway road closures.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Deputies and local fire departments have been conducting evacuations in the area since last night. This included Collier State Park and residents west of the State Park, as well as residents of Woodland Park remain in a Level 3 Evacuation.
A Level 3 Evacuation for Oregon Shores 1, north of Maidu Road, was issued this morning and most residents have evacuated. There is a new Level 3 Evacuation for residents in the area north of the Road 422 and Highway 62 junction east of the Wood River, south of Crooked Creek between Wood River and the State Fish Hatchery. Residences, if not already evacuated should evacuate now.
On the north end of the fire, west of Highway 97 near mile post 243, there is active fire north of Spring Creek. Residents in this area near Spring Creek should evacuate.
The area south of Maidu Road, west of Highway 62, including Oregon Shores 2, is currently under a Level 2 Evacuation. This means residents should be prepared if there is a need for immediate evacuation.
The Red Cross has established an evacuation center at Kla-Mo-Ya south of Chiloquin. There is not a number set up for the evacuation center yet. Evacuees or those with questions are advised to not call 911 unless it is an emergency, but instead go to Kla-Mo-Ya in person. The Klamath County Fairgrounds are also available for evacuees with trailers or animals. RV hook-ups and animal holding facilities are available.
There are currently 24 engines, two handcrews, five dozers and multiple air resources including one lead plane, three single-engine airtankers, two scooper aircraft, one large helicopter and two Type 2 helicopters on the fire today. More resources are being ordered. Because of heat and smoke, the use of air resources has been limited.
When air resources are available, Klamath Lake is being used to scoop water. Boaters are advised to be aware of their surroundings and avoid areas where aircraft is operating over the water. Williamson River and Spring Creek are also being used for dip sites.
An Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Incident Management Team will begin transitioning onto the fire this evening and is expected to assume command of the incident tomorrow morning. The incident will be a unified command with ODF and the U.S. Forest Service.
Currently the local South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) Type 3 Team is managing the fire. The Red Flag Warning in effect today for strong gusty winds and low relative humidity expires at midnight tonight. The Two Four Two Fire was discovered yesterday near Williamson River Campground on the Fremont-Winema National Forest Chiloquin Ranger District.
For more information, visit the SCOFMP Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SCOFMPFIREINFO or Inciweb at www.inciweb.nwcg.gov.
In the Rogue Valley area, update from ODOT at 10AM this morning, Wednesday:
Interstate 5 (Pacific Highway)-Ashland: interstate is closed between exits 14 (south Ashland) and 21 (Talent) due to wildfire. Expect delays. Avoid the area.
Oregon 99 – (Rogue Valley Highway):southbound lanes are closed due to wildfire at MP 17, two miles south of Talent. Evacuation levels have not yet changed on the Almeda Drive Fire area as of 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Fires continue to burn in Talent and Phoenix, north into south Medford.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal Team has arrived on scene and will be transitioning to relieve local resources as crews continue to fight the Almeda Fire. A northern Oregon task force has arrived with them to supplement efforts to contain and control the fire.
Fire crews will be working throughout the day and night. Please take note of these important resources:
⚠️Know your Ready, Set, Go! –> https://bit.ly/2FcrK35
⚠️Latest Evacuation information –> https://bit.ly/2F2KDFN
⚠️Sign up for Citizen Alert –> www.rvem.org
Jackson County is urging evacuated residents to stay away from the closure area and “respect the evacuation zone.” Evacuees are asked to continue sheltering in place and otherwise avoid the area.
“Crews are actively working in the Talent/Phoenix area. Attempts to enter are hindering emergency efforts and blocking roadways, including I-5. There are downed utility lines and poles and other fire debris. Please stay away until such time it’s clear,” said Captain Tim Snaith with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Several evacuation orders for the Rogue Valley have been downgraded to Level 1. Evacuation levels are broken down by region below.
NORTH MEDFORD: North Medford is now a Level 1, which means be ready to evacuate. This area includes McAndrews Road to the south; Oregon 99 to the west; Beall Lane to the north; Interstate 5 to the east.
CENTRAL POINT: Central Point is now a Level 1, which means be ready to evacuate. This area includes Beall Lane to the South; Freeman Road to the West to Exit 33; and Petro Truck Stop to the East as well as all of east Central Point, Pine Street to Table Rock Road.
SOUTH MEDFORD: LEVEL 3: If you are south of Glenwood Ave. on Hwy 99 and south of Campbell Road in the North Phoenix area you are at Level 3. This area is from Hwy 99 to the area of North Phoenix. LEVEL 2: All areas south of Barnett Road to Campbell Rd and Glenwood.
LEVEL 1: All of Jackson County is considered at Level 1.
Crews are tackling a fast-moving fire that started in the City of Ashland, burned through Talent, Phoenix, and into parts of Medford. The fire has been officially named the Glendower fire, but has also been referred to as the Almeda fire, because it started near Glendower Street & Almeda Drive in Ashland, Oregon.
The Obenchain Fire burning in northern Jackson County is prompting more evacuation notices. The fire was first reported Tuesday afternoon east of Eagle Point. At last report Tuesday afternoon, the fire was an estimated 1,700 acres.
The latest evacuation orders around the fire were issued at about 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. They include Level 3 (Go!) from Butte Falls Road north along both sides of Highway 62 west to Rogue River to Brophy Road at the south end of Shady Cove. The City of Shady Cove will remain in a Level 2 (be set) evacuation status until further notice. A temporary evacuation point has been set up at the Jackson County Expo in Central Point. However, sheltering is not available.
FEMA regional administrator in Oregon, Mike O’Hare, determined that “the fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster” and approved a federal fire assistance grant for Oregon.
The City of Ashland yesterday ordered evacuations for “all homes near fire from Michelle Street west to lower Cambridge Street” due to a fire near Bear Creek.
By mid-afternoon, Interstate 5 was closed as was the detour route, Highway 99, between Medford and Ashland and both roadways were full of traffic with no alternate route to take. Evacuations were started all the way to Talent.
Jackson County Expo Center was taking stranded motorists and evacuees in shelter in Central Point as of Tuesday night.
Medford Police said that the fire is moving in a northwest direction from Phoenix and into south Medford, but flames are also moving up the Bear Creek Greenway toward the middle of Medford. Charles Point Estates on Lowry Lane are also being evacuated.
The Almeda Drive Fire is still completely uncontained. It was last estimated at 1,500 acres.
The Emergency Operation Center Command is urging residents to “respect the zone.”
They say residents trying to enter the closed areas in the Talent/Phoenix area are hindering emergency efforts.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Department says fire crews are busy today actively working in the Talent and Phoenix area. Attempts to enter the area are hindering emergency efforts and blocking roadways, including I-5. They ask residents to stay away from these areas while they fight fires of homes and businesses. There are downed utility lines and other fire debris.
A new wildfire start in Douglas County has prompted evacuation orders and the closure of Highway 138E yesterday morning.
Firefighters have been battling the nearby French Creek fire since Monday — also resulting in multiple evacuation orders and warnings — but this latest fire is a separate incident.
The Grizzly Creek Fire near Howard Prairie has held at 340 acres for the third day in a row. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, 240 firefighters have helped increase containment of the fire to 20 percent. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Commissioners in Marion County declared a state of emergency hours after officials issued Level 3 “GO” evacuation orders for residents in Santiam Canyon as the Beachie Creek fire continued to spread amid dry conditions and high winds Tuesday.
Evacuation warnings have been issued due to a new wildfire in Northern California. CAL FIRE said Tuesday morning the Slater incident is burning outside of the community of Happy Camp.The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning for residents in the area of Indian Meadows up to the south fork of Indian Creek. People covered under the warning should be prepared to leave the area. SCSO said the fire is burning near Slater Butte Lookout.
Here are resources for people who are on evacuation alert.
Two tasks to do today to save time, money, and stress during a wildfire:
- Create a home inventory – Take photos or video of each room in your home. Pay close attention to what’s on walls, in closets and drawers, and storage spaces.
- Check your insurance coverage – Make sure you have the right coverage for fire damage. For example, you need comprehensive coverage on your auto policy to cover damage caused by fire.
These two tasks will help people save thousands following a disaster, and they are good for everyone to do, no matter where you live.
A deadline of September 25, 2020 has been set for the Fall Brick Order for bricks dedicated to military veterans to be placed at the Veterans Memorial in Klamath Falls, by Veterans Day in November.
The Veterans Memorial Project is a community wide project, which honors and recognizes Veterans who have served this nation. The memorial features a pavilion, war monuments and over 5,000 dedicated bricks meant to be a lasting legacy to military individuals. Each brick is a tribute to a military member and their service. Bricks can be ordered for $50 each and dedicated to any United States veteran regardless of where they live and whether they are living or deceased.
For more information, contact the City of Klamath Falls Development Services Office at (541) 883-4950.
The United Way Community Campaign in the Klamath Basin officially starts today, but officials announced early contributions and pacesetter workplace campaigns have already donated $76,217 — or 15% of its $500,000 goal.
At a campaign leadership team meeting held last week Kathy Jordan announced that the employees at Klamath Energy LLC, a division of Avangrid Renewables, donated $19,508, which the Avangrid Foundation matched. Lisa Waite, Triad School Key Club advisor, announced that the Triad student body donated $966.
Contact the United Way at 541-882-5558 if you wish to have a workplace presentation.
The 21st annual United Way golf challenge has been canceled due to COVID-19 but will be replaced with an online auction Sep. 25-28. Pacific Power is the premier sponsor and corporate sponsors include Umpqua Bank, Columbia Forest Products, and Klamath Energy.
The Board of Directors of EagleRidge High School, an Oregon Nonprofit Corporation, will hold a virtual Board Meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, at 4:00 pm.
The link for the meeting is in the agenda. The meeting agenda includes discussion of new board member qualifications, review of new policies, and the Executive Director’s report on the beginning of school. The Board may also consider other business brought before the board.
EagleRidge High School was established to create and implement an autonomous, high achieving and equitable small high school in collaboration with the Klamath Falls City School District pursuant to the Oregon Charter School law.
Around the state of Oregon
COVID-19 has claimed four more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 486, the Oregon Health Authority reported today. Oregon Health Authority reported 169 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 28,355.
The new cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (1), Clackamas (17), Crook (1), Deschutes (1), Jackson (17), Jefferson (2), Lane (7), Malheur (4), Marion (25), Morrow (4), Multnomah (39), Polk (4), Umatilla (10), Wasco (1), Washington (25), and Yamhill (11).
ODOT on Southwestern Oregon 138E (North Umpqua Highway) is closed between Glide and Dry Creek (milepost 17-47) due to fire. Only local traffic and emergency service vehicles will be allowed through. More information on road closures available at www.TripCheck.com.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will conduct a virtual tour of a wild horse off-range pasture via Facebook Live on Sept. 21, 2020 starting at 9 a.m. Mountain Time. The purpose of the tour is to allow the public to see and learn more about BLM’s wild horse and burro management mission, including the agency’s responsibility for providing humane care for thousands of animals held in off-range facilities.
The BLM currently cares for approximately 35,000 wild horses on 35 off-range pastures throughout the Central Plains and parts of the West. These are animals that were removed from Western public rangelands as part of BLM’s mission to protect and preserve America’s wild horse and burro herds. The off-range pasture to be featured during this virtual tour – known as the Jameson Ranch near Davis, Oklahoma – is a private ranch under contract with the government to feed and care for up to 200 federally protected wild horses in a natural free-roaming environment.
To join the tour, simply visit the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BLMWildHorseandBurro/.
Kelvin Valentino McDuffie, 34, of Supai, Arizona, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and one year of supervised release today for assaulting an in-custody defendant in the Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2019, Deputy U.S. Marshals escorted McDuffie, an adult female victim, and other male and female inmates into a prisoner elevator inside the federal courthouse. The male and female inmates were separated by a metal chain-link screen and McDuffie was restrained with handcuffs and a belly chain. As the elevator arrived at a floor, McDuffie reached his fingers through the chain-link screen and touched the victim’s inner thigh and buttocks through her clothing with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, and degrade the victim and arouse and gratify his own sexual desire.
McDuffie was in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after being arrested in the District of Oregon for an alleged violation of the supervised release that had been imposed following a conviction for assaulting a federal officer in the District of Arizona. On November 21, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging McDuffie with assault and abusive sexual contact. On April 21, 2020, he pleaded guilty to assault.
…For complete details on these and other stories see today’s Herald & News. Wynne Broadcasting and the Herald and News…stronger together to keep you informed.
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