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Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityheratd.com
August 24, 2015
> N >H>s aDmoN: Local • Home @Living • Sports Monday $ <
Steak 5 potato salad
QUICIC HITS
Good Day Wish To A Subscriber A special good day to Herald subscriber Michael R. Fedderly of Baker City.
BRIEFING
Unity residents must boil water Unity residents will remain on a boil water notice until another round of testing in the distribution is completed. All water samples pulled must return with a negative result. Representatives from the Baker County Health Department, Unity PublicWorks, and Malheur Environmental Health tested five samples in the distribution area on Wednesday Aug. 19. One of five of those samples had a positive result of total coliform and thus mandates another round of testing. Officials hope to be able to pull samples to be tested by a certified lab in Pendleton by Tuesday, Aug. 25. Results should be received by Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Free clothing swap planned The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has organized a free Back to School Clothing Swap. The event will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the LDS Church at 2625 Hughes Lane. Items may be dropped off starting at 4 p.m. The emphasis is on "back-toschool"necessities such as clothing, shoes and backpacks, but all items in good condition are welcome, organizer Jill Gross said in announcing the event. More information is available by calling Gross at 541-523-2513.
Sidewalk grant money available There are approximately $8,900 available through the Baker City Sidewalk Construction Grant. This is a reimbursable grant designed to improve Baker City's existing public sidewalk system and, under certain circumstances, construct missing links of the sidewalk system. Grant information and application forms are available in the Baker City Public Works Department in Baker
WEATHER
Today
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U.S. Forest Service photo
Smoke and flames from the Grizzly Bear Complex fire created a colorful skyline overWallowa County this weekend.
By ChuckAnderson
deputies spent Sunday warningresidents to beprepared A new wildfire began to evacuate along Upper burning four miles southwest Hurricane Creek Road and in an arc along Hurricane Creek of Joseph over the weekend, while the town of Troy in far Road between Pine Tree and northern Wallowa County Bowerman roads. Firefighters from Joseph has survived the two-state Grizzly Bear Complex fire. Fire and Rescue are deThe Falls Creek fire is ploying water tanks, hoses consuming old-growth timber and pumps along Upper and brush near the HurriHurricane Creek to protect cane Creek trailhead and sev- residences in case the fire eralpopular campgrounds. It moves north, Fire Chief Jeffrey Wecks said. was estimated to cover 200 District Ranger Kris Stein acres Sunday night and is of the U.S. Forest Service said spreading slowly. Helicopters made water fire investigators are trying drops continuously all day to determine the cause of the blaze, which was reported by Sunday as smoke jumpers hikers Saturday morning. drove and hiked in to battle the blaze on the ground. The Resources throughout the jumpers couldn't parachute West are stretched so thin in because the smoke was too that fewer than 50 firefightthick, according to officials. ers were on the scene. Smoky haze obscured About 200 Oregon NationalGuard troops arrived views of the Wallowa Mountains throughout the upper in Baker City Sunday, Stein Wallowa Valley. noted, which might free fireThe prospects were caufighters from other blazes for tiously upbeat at a communi- duty in Joseph. A command ty meeting attended by more postwas established atthe than 100 residents Sunday. Joseph Rodeo Grounds with "It went better today than Incident Commander Francis Tyler in charge. we as firefighters had a right to expect," Bill Mitchell, U.S. Remote Troy is safer ForestService operations than in the past few days, chief, said. although it and surrounding Wallowa County sherif's areas extending to Boggan's For the Baker City Herald
Tuesday
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U.S. Forest Serv>ce photo
Firefighters were kept busy dousing the flames of the Grizzly Bear Complex and Falls Creek fires. Oasis on Washington Route 129 remain evacuated in the Grizzly Bear Complex fire, according to Bill Swartley, public information officer. About 100 firefighters were being moved to a base camp being established in the town. Five private homes and 28 outbuildings have been lost as the flames spreadfrom theWenahaTucannon Wilderness to cover 61,650 acres. Areas reaching as far north as Asotin, Washington, are under warning to be ready
to evacuate. Increased fire activity is forecast fortoday asweather conditions worsen and the possibility oflightning late today on the west side of the firehas fi re m anagers worrted.
At Enterprise High School, an evacuation shelter was set up once Troy and nearby Flora were evacuated. Heather Stanhope, Red Cross volunteer and station manager, said only one individual had stayed the night by Sunday. eiltl could change at
any time," Stanhope said. "Especially if motels and friends and family begin to reach the saturation point, then we're going to see them actually coming in." The Enterprise shelter is staffedby eight volunteers. "We'restretched really thin here in Eastern Oregon," Stanhope said. But she said finding resources hasn't been difficult. "This happens to be a very strong community with alotofgood resources and big hearts," she said.
a e omnex rowt sowssi niicanty By Dick Mason VVescom News Service
Smoke aidedfi refighters Sunday in their battle against the Eagle Complex fires, burning 10 miles east of Medical Springs. Smoke from the fires did not lift as much as expected Sunday, preventing the Eagle Complex blazes from growing significantly. "Because of the weather conditions there was potential for large fire growth, but the smoke didn't lift as much as expected. This moderated fire behavior," said Chris Barth, a public information officer for the Eagle Complex fires. Barth explained that the smoke helped shade the fires, reducing their activity. Had the smoke lifted, Barth said, the fires might have grown significantly because of low humidity, warm temperaturesand wtnd.
Hazy
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The Eagle Complex fires now total 8,129 acres, based on an aerial infrared reading taken Sunday night. This is up 1,589
USFS photo
Firefighters set back fires in an attempt to stop the spread of oncoming blazes in the Eagle Complex fire. acres from Friday night, the last time before Sunday that an aerial infrared reading was taken. The fires are just outside the southeast border of Union County. The EagleComplex fi res
are now 5 percent contained, up from 0 percent at the end of Thursday. Barth believes the containment will soon increase because of the work firefightershave been doing along Forest Service Road
77. This work is securing the southern edge of the Eagle Complex fires. Crews are putting out hot spots, removing fuels, digging trenches at some sites and more. Trenches are being dug atsiteswhere itap-
pears that burning items could roll down a slope and cross the road. Severalhelicopters were used to drop water on the blazes Sunday, but no fixedwing aircraft were used. A Level 3 evacuation notice was issued a week ago for people living in structures in the East Eagle Creek area. Everyone receiving a Level 3 notice had to evacuate immediately. To date, one structure located in the East Eagle Creek area has been consumed by the Eagle Complex res. fi Level 2 evacuation notices remain in effect for aportion ofthe area near theEagle Complex fires. Notices were issued Aug. 11 for those living in cabins and structures on Forest Service Road 77 in the Bennett Peak area, the main Eagle area and Tamarack Campground. People receiving Level 2 notices are expected to be ready to evacuate immediately. SeeEagle/Page 8A
Hazy, smoky Full forecast on the back of the B section.
T QPA~ Issue 46, 18 pages
Calendar... .................zA Crossword.... ....6B & SB Horoscope........6B & SB News of Record........zA Senior Meals.. ...........zA Classified............. 5B-9B D e a r A b by...............10B Le t t ers........................4A Ob i t uaries..................2A Sp o r t s ........................7A Comics.......................4B Ho m e . .................. 1B-3B L o c al/Regional News3A Opi n i on......................4A We a t her...................10B
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