![]() Prendergast told the crowd at Brookings-Harbor High School that a rising toll of firefighter deaths has led to a national policy. Long-time Medford resident John Prendergast was on the national fire management team that took command on July 29. In fact, Edwards said, during the first day helicopters had dropped more than 50 buckets containing over 17,000 gallons of water. ![]() “You need someone the ground to go in direct and knock out the fire on the ground. “They can’t do it alone with just aviation assets,” he said. Edwards dismissed the claim that a few aerial water drops could have killed the fire early on. The decision was made to pull back and figure out a better way to attack the fire. “The lack of safety zones and escape routes became really evident that we’re probably gonna get somebody hurt if we remain engaged like we are,” he said. He said it soon became clear the terrain was too treacherous to keep firefighters on the ground. Edwards said firefighters who rappelled into the remote scene struggled with steep, unstable slopes. The decision was made within 15 minutes.”įire officer Monty Edwards assumed command of the fire on July 13, the day after it was first reported. “Just wanted to state right off, this was never a fire that we wanted,” Trulock told the crowd. About 120 people showed up at the high school gym to hear what fire managers had to say.Ĭraig Trulock, with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, denied the fire was deliberately allowed to burn. This is the atmosphere Forest Service officials faced at a public meeting in Brookings on Sept. And then we would be talking about what a great summer we’ve having.”Īngry tweets and Facebook posts amplified the indignation. "But it could have been taken care of back then with a few helicopter buckets. “I have no doubt that the terrain where this started, the original quarter acre, is very difficult and possibly dangerous for on the ground," he said. Conservative talk radio host Bill Meyer at KMED in Medford repeatedly blasted the Chetco Bar Fire response. On his YouTube video blog, Lewis accused the Forest Service of allowing the Chetco Bar fire to burn as part of a liberal agenda. The US Forest Service could have prevented this easily, and they didn’t.” And there is no excuse for it whatsoever. As the fire grew and the air thickened, tempers flared. It also – along with other major fires - created unhealthy air quality over western Oregon and northern California. It burned in an area of more than 191,000 acres, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate and destroying several homes. As the fire raced across the landscape, driven by high winds, the firefighting effort came under growing criticism.įor a few weeks in late summer, Chetco Bar was the nation’s top priority fire. Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry and Coos Forest Protection Association.The Chetco Bar Fire, near Brookings on Oregon’s south coast, simmered for weeks in the scars of previous fires in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness before breaking out in mid-August. The Chetco Bar Fire is operating under unified command with the Oregon State Fire Marshall, U.S. The fire is approximately five miles northeast of Brookings, Oregon. There is no containment at this time, but 1,398 personnel are working to control the fire. The Chetco Bar Fire was reported on July 12, 2017, and is 102, 333 acres. ![]() This closure will be in effect immediately and will remain in effect until the Chetco Bar Fire is declared controlled. The area will be closed to motorized and non-motorized transportation, including foot traffic. ![]() This closure affects public lands inside the established perimeter of the Chetco Bar road and area closure and is specific to BLM lands and routes only. The areas affected by this closure order will be posted with appropriate regulation signs at main access and entry points. ![]() The fire is not contained or controlled, and ongoing suppression and restoration activities preclude safe public access. This emergency closure is necessary to ensure public safety, land health, and resource integrity during firefighting activities. This closure affects public lands within and adjacent to the Chetco Bar Fire, currently burning on approximately 4,000 acres of BLM administered lands. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Coos Bay District is issuing a temporary emergency closure of public lands in Curry County, Oregon.
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