Thursday, July 19, 2018

Oregon on Fire

Oregon is once again burning.

We always have wildfires, but this year, due to early high temperatures, the fires have started earlier.

The worst right now is the substation fire up southeast of The Dalles, in the gorge.   The fire is south and east of the gorge, burning wheat fields and grasslands rapidly and forcing the evacuation of some small towns.

A farmer died trying to till a fire break in his fields, overcome by the heat and smoke. 
You can see some photos and read about the fire here.

Unfortunately, for the farmers and for the world, because wheat is an export product here, the fire came right as harvest begins.

Wheat is a huge export product for Oregon.  It is also grown in the valley, soft winter wheat I believe it is, and sold to Asian markets to make noodles and other things.

Here's a link to describe different kinds of wheat and what is grown in Oregon.

Our temperatures in Oregon have become abnormal, far higher temps coming earlier to dry out forests and grasslands alike.

I don't believe there are fires burning in my county.  There likely soon will be so if I'm going to go camping or anything this summer, I suppose it better be sooner rather than later, before places are closed or shrouded in smoke, like last summer, which was a terrible fire season.

Last season, fires in Jefferson Wilderness area and the western part of the Columbia River gorge destroyed large beloved recreational areas.  But they'll grow back.  Takes awhile.

Fires in Oregon are usually lightning or stupid human caused.  The Gorge fire of last year was started by an idiot teen and his buddies throwing firecrackers into bone dry brush.   He nearly killed over a hundred hikers who were trapped then out on the trail and had to spend the night and be led out ten miles since the trail back to their cars was now blocked by the stupid teens fire, that grew to destroy a large area.  He received almost no penalty for this reckless and terribly expensive act of vandalism.

Above is the official fire evacuation map, with the red zone the get out now area.  These maps change as the fire changes.  For those of you who do not live in Oregon, this fire is in the north central area of the state.  The blue ribbon at the top of the map is the Columbia River.   The fire is south and east of the Dalles, which is a Columbia River town on I-84.  And the fire has jumped the Deschutes River at least twice now.


9 comments:

  1. Fires are very powerful and their destruction massive. I hope they are under control soon.

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    Replies
    1. They are terrifying and the damage is extensive, heart breaking but nature grows back.

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  2. Sigh.
    We have fires every year too and a surprising number of them are deliberately lit.
    I hope the ones in your state can be contained quickly.

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    Replies
    1. Fire season will likely last a long while this year EC. We always have fire season in Oregon. Fire is devastating and horrible but natural in our forests.

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  3. Anonymous4:20 PM

    We know all about such fires and they are dreadful. We can only hope things change soon.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I know you have them there also.

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  4. Oh, dear! As for that teen, I cannot imagine an appropriate punishment. Maybe a long sentence of community service?

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