The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says phase 1 of Rowena Fire recovery is nearing an end, and it’s an important time to take advantage of available recovery services while they are still accessible. Free personal property recovery is available through Northwest Baptist Disaster Relief, which the Sheriff’s Office says is a vetted member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters and offers specialized assistance to help fire victims sift through debris and recover personal belongings with the assistance of trained volunteers with specialized fire cleanup experience. The service is available through Monday, and is free of charge to all those impacted by the Rowena Fire. Call the organization’s Region 3 coordinator, Dave Hillison, at 503-789-6952.
Merkley & Dexter Introduce Bill To Protect Farmworkers From Heat & Smoke
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Third District Congresswoman Maxine Dexter have introduced a bill they say would put safeguards in place for farmworkers facing wildfire smoke and extreme weather dangers. The Farmworker Smoke and Excessive Heat Protection Act would tequire employers to provide N95 masks or other National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified respiratory protection, along with training and education, to farmworkers exposed to hazardous air conditions. It also directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop and publish an official standard to protect employees from wildfire smoke and extreme heat exposure. Merkley and Dexter say during wildfire season, farmworkers must often work quickly in smoky conditions to harvest crops and protect them from smoke damage, and many do so without proper respiratory protection.
Foster Parents Needed For The Next Door’s Therapeutic School
The Next Door is seeking more foster parents for students in its Klahre House Alternative School. The school in Hood River provides high school-age students place their by the Oregon Youth Authority who are receiving therapeutic schooling that combines behavioral health and addiction treatment services with traditional education and a GED program. School Administrator Tim Shampoe says they need more foster parents to provide a stable home-like setting some of their students have never had on a consistent basis. Those interested in being a foster parent can contact The Next Door by email at fosterinfo@nextdoorinc.org.
Treatment Plan Improving, But Not Yet In Compliance
The Dalles Public Works says operations at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant are improving but not yet back in compliance after a recent plant upset that resulted in treated wastewater exceeding the plant’s limit for E. coli being discharged into the Columbia River. On Sunday samples were taken at pre-arranged locations in the Columbia River to determine the effect of the discharge on water quality in the river. Tests on five samples show that E. coli levels at the sample locations were well below bacterial criteria set by the Oregon Department Environmental Quality for freshwater recreation. As a precaution, signs saying “Warning-Contaminated Water-No Water Contact” will remain in place from The Dalles Riverfront to the West Mayer Park boat launch on the Oregon shore of the Columbia. Wastewater treatment staff are working to restore the biological balance so that the plant can return to normal operations.
Burdoin Fire Assistance Available Wednesday
There will be an assistance event Wednesday in Lyle from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for those affected by the Burdoin Fire. Walk-in resources will be available at the Lyle Lions Community Center. It will be a one-stop spot for recovery resources, with local and regional agencies onsite to offer assistance, answer questions, and connect people with services. No appointment is needed. At the nearby Lyle School Cafeteria, donation pick-up will take place. It will be stocked with essentials like towels, bedding, plates, cups, toiletries, perishable and non-perishable food, and lots of clothing for all ages. Both locations will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
MCCAC Finding Housing For Those Displaced By Rowena Fire
Mid-Columbia Community Action has been working to help get those displaced by the Rowena Fire rehoused. MCCAC Executive Director Leslie Naramore says they have helped fourteen households find rental housing, and gotten hotel stays arranged for others. She adds they are trying to help in other ways as well, helping to acquire household items for the displaced. If you have been affected by the Rowena Fire and need help, you can go to mccac.com for information, or go to the Gloria Center at 2505 West 7th in The Dalles. If you are interested in helping fire victims with their needs, watch the Mid-Columbia Community Action Facebook page where the organization has been posting information on items that are being requested.
Command Of Burdoin Fire Transferred
With containment of the Burdoin Fire now at 94%, management of the fire transitioned from Complex Incident Management Northwest Team 13 to a Type 4 incident management organization on Sunday. The Type 4 group will continue to monitor and patrol firelines and extinguish hotspots within 200 feet of residences and structures across the fire footprint. Interior smoke and hot spots are anticipated to remain on the landscape. Concerned residents who see smoke or flames near their homes should report them to 911. The area around the “horseshoe” east of the Klickitat River has lines secured 100 to 200 feet, but fire managers are not ready to call it fully contained at this time. The Type 4 team will continue to widen and reinforce those control lines. In addition, the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday afternoon rescinded all remaining evacuation advisories for the fire area. The fire was listed as 10,675 acres in size.
The Dalles Wastewater Plant Effluent Discharge Exceeds E.Coli Limit
The City of The Dalles says its Wastewater Treatment Plant has discharged effluent that exceeds the plant’s limit for E. coli due to incomplete disinfection. Sample test results on Friday morning indicated an E. coli exceedance. Several resamples in the following 24 hour period confirmed that the disinfection is still incomplete. The Dalles Public Works says the cause of the exceedance is still under investigation and rigorous water quality monitoring is ongoing. The ultraviolet disinfection process has been ramped up to maximum capacity in an attempt to bring E. coli counts back within permitted limit, and the increased frequency of sampling until E. coli counts are back within permit limits. Samples will also be taken at pre-arranged locations in the river to provide data on the effect of the discharge on water quality in the river. Signs have been placed at locations of public river access on the Oregon shore of the Columbia River, from The Dalles Riverfront Park to the West Mayer Park boat launch. The signs say: “Warning – Contaminated Water – No water contact” and give phone numbers to call for information.
Strawberry Mountain Water Pressure Zone Conservation Still In Place
The City of White Salmon says the Stage 3 water conservation measure for the Strawberry Mountain Pressure Zone remains in effect, as a newly manufactured replacement pump impeller at the Los Altos Reservoir is not yet delivering the water pressure levels necessary to fully stabilize the system. A statement from the City on Monday morning says technicians are actively troubleshooting the issue, and working to evaluate backup approaches should the pump ultimately prove defective. The City says it is not responsible for the manufacturing discrepancy and remains committed to ensuring that any final repair meets its engineering standards and operational requirements. The Stage 3 water conservation notice issued in late July instituted an odd-even schedule for irrigation, but prohibits most other outdoor uses of water.
Trevitt Street Closed For Water Main Upgrade Monday & Tuesday
The Dalles Public Works is working on Trevitt Street between West 10th and West 11th to replace and upgrade a water main. A full street closure on Trevitt St. will be in place today and tomorrow. Motor vehicles and bicyclists will be detoured to adjacent side streets. Pedestrian and sidewalk access will remain open through the duration of this work. Work hours are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, but the trench must remain open overnight to cure in place before the asphalt patch is installed. No parking will be allowed within the project areas to allow room for large equipment to safely work.