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Firefighters in the Pacific
Northwest scrambled this week to contain two fires that
were threatening several small towns in Oregon, and a
key stretch of interstate connecting Oregon and Idaho
was shut down as flames advanced. Authorities ordered
Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon shut down in both
directions for about 130 miles (210 kilometers) between
the cities of Ontario and Baker City as a fire there
continued to advance rapidly. The freeway is a vital
connection between Oregon and Idaho and will be closed
at least a day, the Oregon Department of Transportation
said. More than two dozen fires are burning in Oregon,
Washington and Idaho, with Oregon suffering the worst of
the situation so far. More than 700,000 acres are ablaze
in the state (1,093 square miles) and 114,000 of those
acres burned in 24 hours, authorities said. Smoke from
the fires is affecting air quality in eastern Oregon and
Washington and into Idaho. Fire crews have been plagued
by late afternoon thunderstorms that are starting new
blazes when lightning strikes dried-out vegetation.
Parts of Oregon and Washington have also been in the
grip of a heat wave, including record-breaking
triple-digits temperatures, for days.
In Oregon, the entire town of
Huntington, population 500, remained evacuated on
Tuesday after a fire broke out late Sunday. A massive
smoke column from the fire collapsed during a
thunderstorm, sending winds of up to 50 mph (80 kph) out
in every direction and prompting the “go now”
evacuations. Those orders remained in effect as
firefighters battled three new blazes in the same area
Tuesday that were sparked by lightning from new storms
late Monday, the Baker County Sheriff's Office said in a
Facebook post “Within minutes of the first lightning
strikes, reports then came in of visible flames,” the
post read.
The Bonanza Extravaganza, an
annual event, is happening this weekend. Saturday, the
Parade starts at 10am. Oregon State Chili Cook-off, Show
& Shine Car Show, Homemade Hobby Festival, Quilt Show,
Pie Bake-Off, Children's Carnival, Children's Art
Festival, Balloon Artist, Face painters, Cornhole
Tournament, Lion's Cookshack, and the band Glass Hearts
Live are all scheduled. On Sunday, 1st Responder
Cook-off, Homemade Hobby Festival, Live Entertainment
throughout the day, and plenty to eat and drink. Most of
the festivities center at Big Springs Park. The public
is invited.
An eighth measles case has
been confirmed in Marion County and testing is underway
on a ninth patient. The confirmed case is an
unvaccinated child who was diagnosed on July 23rd. The
presumptive case is in the same household as a previous
measles patient. There is no known connection between
any of the confirmed cases, and no public exposure has
been identified. Measles is highly contagious. The virus
can remain in the air up to two hours after an infected
person has left the room. One in five unvaccinated
people who get measles require hospitalization.
For
full details on these stories and more see the
website at heraldandnews.com |