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NORTHEAST OREGON WILDFIRES
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• Second wildfire — Falls Creek Fire — erupts near Joseph Saturday By ChuckAnderson
fires. The Falls Creek Fire is conJOSEPH — A new wildfire be- suming old-growth timber and gan burning four miles southwest brush near the Hurricane Creek of Joseph over the weekend, while trailhead and several popular campgrounds. It was estimated to the town of Troy in far northern Wallowa County has survived the cover 200 acres Sunday night and two-state Grizzly Bear Complex is spreading slowly.
Helicopters made water drops continuously all day Sunday as smoke jumpers drove and hiked in to battle the blaze on the ground. The jumpers couldn't parachute in because the smoke was too thick, according to See Fires / Page5A
For the Observer
U.S. Forest Service photo
Five private homes and 28 outbuildings have been lost as flames from the Grizzly Bear Complex fires spread.
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• Hand crew from Camp Riverbend helping fight the Merry-Go-Round Fire ByAlyssa Sutton The Observer
TheAssociated Press photo
A Type 2 hand crew from Camp RiverbendYouth Transitional Facility outside La Grande is offering its skills to fight local fires. As national resources are being exhausted, Brett Dunten, Riverbend's fire instructor and crew boss, says the Oregon Youth Authority can offer more resources for the government's toolbelt. cThe kids like being out here," Dunten said."The more fires, the m ore servi ce,the more reform w ork and the more giving back to the community." One of the goals for training the youth as firefighters is to keep others safe. The 14 members of the hand crew are currently doing just that as they have joined a larger crew to fight the 80-acre Merry-Go-Round Fire located near Catherine Creek. The fire was 80 percent contained as of Monday morning. This is not the first fire the Riverbend crew has worked this season. It spent two days in Umatilla County fighting wildfires and has contributed to the firefighting efforts on Wallowa See Youth / Page5A
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ODOT workers fell firedamaged trees along Hwy. 395 as firefighters work to contain the Canyon Creek Complex fire near John Day.
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The Camp RiverbendYouth Transitional Facility outside La Grande is training youth to fight fires. They have provided assistance to fires in Umatilla and theWallowa and LaGrande Oregon Department of Forest land. More recently, they have worked at the 80-acre Merry-Go-Round Fire located near Catherine Creek.
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PORTLAND — The intense wildfire season ravaging the West and taxing fire crews and equipment to their limits is the new normal, the chief of the U.S. Forest Service said last week at a fire site in Eastern Oregon. The statement came as Chief Tom Tidwell visited the scene of the Canyon Creek Complex Fire south of Canyon City that burned 36 homes last week, damaged 50 structures and burned more than 48,200 acres. Nationwide, 26,000 firefighters were battling blazes, including 8,500 in the Northwest. Talks were underway to bring in fire management personnel from Australia and New Zealand. Fireoffi cialsreported at least 35 large active wildfires burningWednesday in Oregon and Washington, where three firefighters were killed and three to four more were See Normal / Page5A
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Fire dangers close Morgan Lake • Parks and Recreation Department makes decision Friday ByAlyssa Sutton The Observer
La Grande Parks and Recreationdecided to closeMorgan Lake Fridaymorning due to
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extreme fire danger. Parks and Recreation Director Stu Spence said the department has been monitoring the park all summer. The dry conditions and the park host's concerns made the decision to close the park. "The park host was concerned by park user behavior, and we decided that it was time to close,"
F ull forecast on the back of B section
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Spence said. Park host volunteer Bill Thiessen said the visual of the extremely dry grass and trees surrounding Morgan Lake should be enough to explain why the area camp should
be closed. "Cigarette smokers do not adhere ito smoking rules) correctly, See Closure / Page 5A
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Issue 100 2 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon
WEDNESDAY IN GO! EQU ANNQUNCES THEATER SCHEDULE
Meet Koren Wing, MS, CCC-SLP Speech language pathology expert. Get your voice back. •000
The Associated Press
Oregon Youth Authority photos
INDEX Classified.......5B Comics...........4B Community...6A Crossword.....6B Dear Abby ... 10B
Is this Fire season the new normal'?
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