Hood River County Commissioners are expected to formally approve the ballot title and explanatory statement for renewal of the County’s public safety levy that will go before voters in November at a special meeting on Thursday. Commissioners spent nearly an hour of their regular Monday meeting parsing the language for those documents, looking to emphasize what they are seeking is the continuation of the five-year levy of 78 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value with no increase from what was originally approved in 2020. Commissioner Arthur Babitz said the goal is to be transparent and be clear that they are not seeking a tax increase. Commissioners wanted to review changes they made to the documents before approving them to be sent to the County Clerk’s office. They will hold a special online meeting Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. to do that.
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Larch Creek Fire Containment Moves To 14%
Containment on the Larch Creek Fire in Wasco County inched up to 14% Monday evening…and while firefighters are mopping up around much of the fire…they are still working to hold the line on the southwest perimeter around the Tygh Creek area due to heavier fuels and hot spots. Fire officials said several spot fires ignited outside the containment line but were quickly extinguished, with the size of the fire remaining at 18,684 acres. Night shift efforts focused on improving and strengthening fire lines. The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch across much of Central Oregon, including the fire area, with the likelihood of thunderstorms Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning that could bring increased winds and lightning strikes with little precipitation. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office on Monday modified evacuation advisory levels on the east side of the fire, with Level 3 areas dropping to Level 2, and Level 2 to Level 1. Evacuation advisories on the west side of the fire are unchanged, but are expected to be reevaluated this morning. Detailed evacuation advisory areas are available on the Wasco County Sheriff’s Facebook page. Structural task forces are being demobilized this morning, and crews will continue patrolling around structures that remain in areas under evacuation.
Magill Says Looting Reports Heard; But None Called In To 911
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says it has been hearing some information from community members of looting takin place in evacuated areas near the Larch Creek Fire, but have received no formal reports through 9-1-1 Dispatch. Sheriff Lane Magill said in a statement that without formal reports, the incidents go uninvestigated. Magill asked the community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity in evacuated areas by calling the non-emergency dispatch number at 541-296-5454 so a deputy can be sent to investigate. Magill pointed out looting during a natural disaster is a serious crime and will not be tolerated, adding the Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting the property of those who have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the Larch Creek Fire.
Gilliam County Sheriff Says Lone Rock Spared By Fire
Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt said the City of Lone Rock faced an “unprecedented threat” on Monday from the Lone Rock Fire, but with the efforts of local, state, and federal fire resources, they managed to avert what could have been a catastrophic event. Bettencourt said the fire came dangerously close to the City, adding it was “mere inches” away from complete devastation. Bettencourt pointed out while Lone Rock was spared, the fire continues to grow into Wheeler and Morrow counties. It is now reported to be 51,855 acres in size. He says the City of Lonerock will remain at a Level 3 Evacuation until further notice. That’s is to protect citizens and support the efforts of local, state, and federal fire crews who will remain dedicated to monitoring and extinguishing spot fires.
The Dalles Outdoor Water Use Advisory Lifted
An advisory in The Dalles to limit outdoor water use has been lifted. The advisory was put in place by the City due to one of its three wells to meet summer demands…the Lone Pine well…being out of service due to an unexpected mechanical failure. But City officials announced Monday afternoon that repairs to the will are complete…and the municipal water system has returned to normal summer operation. The advisory was issued on July 5 due to high temperatures…and was extended to July 17 as hot weather lingered. But with the repairs to the well in place, there was no reason to continue the advisory.
Bridge Work On Schedule
Work to repair six overhead lateral beams on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge that were damaged by a boom on a truck hitting them in late June is on schedule. Nighttime bridge closures that started last week and run each night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. will continue for a few more days. Port Executive Director Kevin Greenwood says work has progressed as planned, with actual replacement of the beams to take place in the early part of this week. Greenwood also said it is possible they might be able to get the work done a day or two early if everything goes smoothly.
Fires Lead To Tourism Disruptions
Wildfires once again can be disruptive to tourism into the region. The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says while the current Larch Creek Fire is a good distance from The Dalles, it still impacts tourists decisions to come to the area. Farquharson says she will being doing a media blitz to the larger markets that The Dalles draws tourists from, but that will come once there is more containment achieved on the fire. Farquharson adds that normally when a fire occurs, the drop in tourism occurs while the fire is taking place, but picks right back up once it is contained and drops out of the news cycle.
Grand Jury Finds Officers Justified In Fatal Shooting
A Wasco County grand jury found two Wasco County Sheriff’s Deputies and a City of The Dalles police officer were justified in fatally shooting at a man who was driving a stolen boom truck towards them on West 6th Street early in the morning of June 18 after the truck had rammed a City patrol car during a pursuit. Wasco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis made the announcement that the grand jury found the use of force that resulted in the death of 68-year-old Augustus Law was justified and not criminal under Oregon law. Ellis said in the early morning hours of June 18 Law was spotted by sheriff’s deputies driving the boom truck without lights and dragging a tow cable. The deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Law attempted to run them off the road and tried to hit other police and sheriff’s vehicles during the pursuit, eventually ramming a City patrol car, at which point the officers fired their weapons, leading to the truck coming to a stop. Law died a short time later at Mid-Columbia Medical Center.
Larch Creek Fire Remains Stable Overnight
Fire activity remained stable overnight on the Larch Creek Fire in Wasco County, allowing firefighters to secure the perimeter and expand mop-up activities. Fire officials reported decreased winds overnight coupled with higher relative humidity provided good conditions for crews to make progress. Estimated size of the fire went up by just about 200 acres to 18,684, with containment up slightly at 11%. Firefighters today will continue to focus on structure protection and reinforcing fire line around the entire perimeter, while air resources continue to support crews moving deeper into burned areas. Fire officials did note weather forecasts do show a potential for thunderstorms from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, which could bring gusty winds and additional ignitions in the region. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office has modified evacuation advisory levels on the east side of the fire, with Level 3 areas dropping to Level 2, and Level 2 to Level 1. Evacuation advisories on the west side of the fire are unchanged. Detailed evacuation advisory areas are available on the Wasco County Sheriff’s Facebook page. There are 982 personnel assigned to the fire, including 27 hand crews, 71 engines, 20 water tenders, 13 dozers, and 11 helicopters. The fire was human caused, but the exact cause has not been determined.
Grass Fire Along I-84 In The Dalles
A grass fire burned about an acre along Interstate 84 in The Dalles on Sunday afternoon in the area of Fred Meyer and McDonald’s. The fire was initially reported at 5 p.m. Sunday. Crews from Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Dufur, Dallesport, and Hood River responded to the location. The fire was blown east in strong winds, but crews were able to get the fire out and into mop up by evening.