BY QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
The utility that provides electricity to rural communities in north Lincoln County says it may cut power to customers there by 10 a.m. Friday as a precaution to lower the chance of wildfires in the Salmon River canyon.
Changing from a warning on Wednesday, Pacific Power said Thursday it may cut electricity to 12,000 customers stretching from Neotsu, Otis and Rose Lodge to communities in the Santiam and lower Umpqua river canyons.
“We continue to prepare to turn off power ahead of Friday’s wind event,” Pacific Power said Thursday evening on its website. “Wind prone, rural areas that are deeper in the mountains will experience shutoffs first. As the windstorm progresses throughout the day, additional shutoffs will happen.”
Pacific Power said its “best estimate” of shutoffs could start about 6 a.m. Friday in portions of Linn, Marion and Douglas counties then move to the Otis area of Lincoln County, Tillamook and Polk counties by 10 a.m. “however it might be sooner if conditions warrant.”
Utilities, fire agencies and weather forecasters became increasingly concerned Wednesday and Thursday about east winds forecast to hit western Oregon on Friday and Saturday – similar but not as strong as the winds that helped create conditions that lead to the devastating wildfires almost exactly two years ago.
Consumer Power, which is based in Philomath and provides electricity in the Alsea River valley east of Waldport, said it was considering shutoffs in the Sweet Home, Stayton, Detroit and other communities on the west slopes of the Cascades – but nothing so far in the Coast Range.
The Central Lincoln Peoples Utility District, which has customers stretching from Salishan in the north to North Bend in the south, said it had no immediate plans to shut off power but was monitoring weather and fire conditions.
“We are aware of the ‘Red Flag’ warning and we are monitoring what Pacific Power is doing,” said CLPUD spokeswoman Chris Chandler.
While gusts of the dry, east wind are forecast to be 20 miles per hour lower than those of Sept. 7, 2020, they are expected to hit 30 mph in areas along the coast – a highly unusual event. Temperatures in coastal towns of Waldport and Lincoln City are expected to be 78-80 degrees Friday and Saturday, but reaching 87 degrees or higher for inland communities such as Otis and Tidewater.
Sunday, the weather is predicted to return to normal.
Although investigations into the causes of the massive Labor Day 2020 fires in Otis, the Santiam Canyon and elsewhere are still in progress, Pacific Power is being sued for damages after fires ignited when power lines were knocked down. The lawsuits claim the utility should have shut down power during a time of extreme danger– a practice now common in much of California.
Fire departments from Yachats to Lincoln City are calling in extra staff and asking any volunteers to be on hand during the weekend to help respond quickly to any fires or other emergencies.
Ironically, the east wind is hitting at the same time survivors of the Echo Mountain Fire in Otis are gathering Saturday afternoon to remember the fire that destroyed nearly 300 homes Sept. 7-8, 2020 and celebrate the ongoing recovery.
The Lincoln County Fire Defense Board, made up of chiefs from all fire departments in the county, has banned all types of outdoor burning at least through the weekend in all parts of the county.
Oregon State Parks, which sets rules for beaches, will prohibit fires on beaches and in its campsites from 8 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday. Only propane cooking stoves with a shutoff valve will be allowed.
The Oregon Department of Forestry has put restrictions on state-protected lands in northwest Oregon including Lincoln County due to the fire danger. Restrictions start Friday and will close off-highway vehicle trails, ban campfires and close some forest roads.
State officials alarmed
Fire officials painted a dire picture of the weather expected this weekend during a Thursday press conference alongside Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
“The combination of really dry winds, low relative humidity, and an unstable atmosphere can lead to explosive fire growth,“ said Travis Medema, chief deputy state fire marshal. “And we are very concerned about the next 72 hours and what that means, both in terms of new fires that start, but also larger fires on the landscape.”
Medema said over 360 homes are under some level of evacuation due to wildfires across the state. In northeastern Oregon near the community of Joseph, over 100 homes are under evacuation due to the Double Creek Fire, which is burning through over 100,000 acres near the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.
Another 260 homes in Klamath County are under evacuation due to the Van Meter Fire, 13 miles southeast of Klamath Falls. Medema said that fire “grew rapidly” Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, many fire agencies were able to leave the Rum Creek Fire area burning in Josephine County, which is starting to stabilize, Medema said.
Oregonians throughout the state should be careful to avoid causing fires, Medema said. Along with not intentionally starting fires, state officials say Oregonians should stick to driving on hard surfaces, like paved or gravel roads, make sure tow chains are secured and tires and exhaust systems are in good condition before driving and avoid using tools that could create sparks, such as chainsaws or lawnmowers.
“As you’re out and about, do everything you can to limit one spark, because one spark could cause a significant wildfire under these severe conditions,” Medema said.
Oregon had a slow start to its fire season, thanks to cold, rainy weather through the late spring, but ongoing drought conditions meant grasses and other vegetation spent all summer drying out.
“We’re really at what I would characterize as the apex of fire season, where fuels have been drying all season long,” Medema said.
- Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Oregon Capital Chronicle contributed to this report.
