Week of July 25, 2024
The Eastern Oregon Pioneers Association has canceled the annual Pioneer Picnic, which was scheduled for this Saturday, July 27. The annual event was established in 1900 by a group of pioneers and their descendants. Due to the wildfires in Wheeler County, organizers decided to cancel this year's picnic. Held at the Julia Henderson Pioneer Park in Wheeler County, the Pioneer Picnic is steeped in tradition and history. In its early years, the Pioneer Picnic was also a...
The Gilliam County Court surprised attendees at the July 17 court session in Arlington by awarding grant requests in full. During the June 26 court session, members of the Gilliam County Grants Committee recommended to partially fund operations grants to several non-profit organizations and the South Gilliam Co. Health District. The Gilliam Co. Operations Grant is one of several special grants available to non-profit organizations, special districts, and schools in the...
What began as a small fire on grassland just outside of Lonerock in Gilliam County has become one of the largest wildfires in Oregon's history. The Lonerock Fire has now burned more than 130,000 acres of grassland, pastures, timber, and structures – carving a swath of destruction through Gilliam, Wheeler, and Morrow counties. The fire has surpassed the Archie Creek Fire from 2020 and is Oregon's 20th largest wildfire. As of press time, the Lonerock Fire has burned 131,407...
The Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office says that the cause of the Lonerock Fire is still under investigation and would not comment on leads or theories. However, three reliable sources told The Times-Journal that the fire was started by a group of men riding four-wheelers and ATVs in high grasses outside of Lonerock on Saturday, July 13. Three sources, which have asked to remain anonymous, said that a group of men from out of state were visiting the area and were riding on...
We are lucky to live in such a beautiful, remote, and quiet area away from the problems of the city. Living here has many advantages but also some disadvantages; one being medical care. We have been fortunate to have dedicated volunteers to run our ambulance, but those volunteers can only do so much. For reasons cited as burnout and lack of back up, our only two active EMTs resigned effective July 31, 2024. That leaves us with no ambulance service after that date. This is a...
The little town of Lonerock escaped destruction this year but was not so lucky in the past. According to the Lebanon Express and The Fossil Journal, on the hottest day of the year in 1896, 106 degrees in the shade, a fire was started in a hotel by the 6-year-old son of the hotel keeper, Jack Andrews. The young boy allegedly set fire to a pile of clothes in a back room at 2:00pm. The hotel and furniture were consumed and due to a brisk wind flames carried to four other...
WASCO, OR - North Central Public Health District extends its appreciation to the city of Wasco in Sherman County for approving a policy making its two city parks tobacco/vape-free. The Wasco City Council unanimously passed a policy in late May making Wasco City Park (the Old City Park) and Depot Park (Wasco Depot Park) tobacco/vape-free, effective July 1. NCPHD paid for four new signs for the parks, which were recently installed. Wasco City Clerk/Recorder Ian Melzer said,...
Arlington is set for a big weekend as the Show N' Shine car show and A-Town Throw Down, 3 on 3 basketball tournament will be held at Earl Snell Park on Saturday, July 27. The weather is going to cooperate. According to the forecast, temperatures are set to cool this week and Arlington will have a high of 88 degrees on Saturday. This will make for ideal conditions for a car show and for basketball games. The Arlington Show N' Shine car show is one of the best in the region....
FOSSIL, OR - The US Forest Service has awarded $300,000 to the Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District for the Wheeler SWCD Mass Timber Facility Project through the Wood Innovation Program. The award was one of 123 projects nationwide totaling more than $43 million through Community Wood Grants and Wood Innovations Grants - longstanding Forest Service grant programs that promote innovation in wood products and renewable wood energy economies. Since 2015, the Wood...
We thought we were out of danger when the fire came up to the field just across from our mailbox and we all breathed a sigh of relief. We had spent the week prepping after which my good friend and forest fighter Alan Thornton drove out from Portland to further prep my property. Steve Stebbins from Spray and he spent all night watering, cutting down a couple of trees, dragging portions of the tree into the field and digging trenches. They spent the night in my cabin with...
Some people are at their best when in a pinch. When the going got tough in the hours and days following the outbreak of the Lonerock Fire, dozens of men and women lept into action. In Lonerock, locals brought CATs and water tanks to save the town. With the South Gilliam Fire crew, volunteers responded quickly and helped stave off disaster. And even after fire crews arrived from around the country, these volunteers kept after it. There was no quit in these guys. The...
SPRAY, OR (3:30 PM 07/19/24) - The Lonerock Fire has continued to push further south into Wheeler County on Friday afternoon, threatening ranches and homes near Winlock. Residents in the City of Spray received a Level 3 "Go Now" Evacuation Order from the Wheeler Co. Sheriff's Office just after 3:30 PM. Local residents are reporting that the fire is within 5 miles of town. The Lonerock Fire has now burned more than 84,000 acres and is at 40% containment. Firefighters are in...
FOSSIL, OR - Officials with the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office and the Pacific Northwest 2nd Team held a community meeting at the Fossil Grade School on Saturday evening. Fire officials shared some success stories, but also said that the conditions on the ground continue to be extremely challenging, as the Lonerock Fire surpassed 100,000 acres. The blaze is currently at its worst near Winlock Road, just outside of Spray. Crews are working to protect homes in that area...
SPRAY, OR (JULY 19, 2024, 7:28 AM) - The Lonerock Fire continued to grow and remained unpredictable, as continually shifting winds hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze, which is now at 83,922 acres as of 7:28 AM on July 19. There have been reports of dozens of people evacuating in Wheeler County near Winlock and Kahler Basin - and many others who evacuated from Spray on Wednesday night. The good news is that the National Interagency Fire Center has increased containment...
SPRAY, OR - The Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office announced on Sunday, July 21, that they have created a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Spray. Oregon State Fire Marshal spokesman Steve Chapman said in a morning briefing that the operating base in Spray will allow for quicker response times. Chapman said that crews have been engaged in point-protection, which focuses preventative efforts on homes and structures and pushes the fire around structures. With erratic winds, the...
The Gilliam County Court will decide whether it should award grants in full or to partially fund requests from nonprofits and special districts at its meeting this Wednesday in Arlington. The Gilliam Co. Grants Committee has recommended significant cuts to requests from key service providers in the county. The Grants Committee recommended to partially fund operations grant requests from the South Gilliam Health District, Summit Springs Village, and the Condon Early Learning...
The Wheeler County Sheriff's Office issued a Level 3 "Go Now" Evacuation for Spray at 8:13 PM. However there has been some conflicting information coming in with sources at the scene reportedly being told to "Stay Ready" at Level 2. Fire activity has intensified on the southern end of the #lonerockfire due to increased winds and fire weather. Erratic winds are pushing the fire in a southerly direction, moving it closer to Spray, Oregon. Wheeler County Sheriffs Office has...
LONEROCK, OR - A rapidly escalating grassland fire near the town of Lonerock, in Gilliam County, has necessitated significant emergency response efforts since its outbreak on Saturday, July 13. Initially spanning 4,200 acres, the Lonerock Fire surged to over 50,000 acres within a mere 24-hour period. In this short time, the Lonerock Fire became one of the largest uncontained fires on the West Coast. In response to the escalating threat, the Gilliam County Sheriff's Office...
ODOT has announced that the new Rock Creek Bridge project has been pushed back until at least July 22. The announcement was made before the Lonerock Fire started and now, Highway 206 is a thoroughfare for firefighters. The new Rock Creek Bridge is expected to be a big project and will shut down the Condon-Heppner Highway for at least three weeks. In total, the project will take several months and will likely finish in mid to late November. Staging equipment has been brought...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced he secured critical investments in Oregon agriculture, rural housing, food assistance, rural business priorities, and veterans' services in the first set of fiscal year 2025 (FY25) government spending bills to pass the committee-a key first step on the road to becoming law. Merkley helped to make sure the investments-including nearly $15 million for seven...
Gilliam County's plans to change economic development districts has been put on hold and will possibly not happen at all. Beginning in 2022, the Gilliam County Court worked to modify their economic development district, which was set at the state and federal level, to better serve the area. At the time, the Gilliam Court believed that the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) based out of The Dalles, would better represent the county and its efforts. MCEDD is a...
Condon, OR - The Lone Rock Fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy by the unified command of the Northwest (NW) Team 2 and Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Red Team. Yesterday's Activities: Significant fire behavior emerged yesterday afternoon, leading to notable fire growth to the south. The fire's southward growth into timber fuels increases the likelihood of crown fires and long-range spotting. In the northwest area of the fire, firefighters made progress...
LONE ROCK FIRE UPDATE July 21, 2024 Location: Lonerock, Oregon to west of Hwy 207 | Size: 116,563 acres | Containment: 40% | Cause: Under Investigation | Start Date: July 13, 2024 | Total Personnel: 819 InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orprd-lone-rock-fire Fire Information Line: 541-208-4369 | Email: 2024.0404rvlonerock@firenet.gov Condon, Oregon - The Lone Rock Fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy by the unified command of the...
Condon, Oregon - The Lone Rock Fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy by the unified command of the Northwest (NW) Team 2 and Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Red Team. Yesterday's Activities: An upper-level weather system moved over the fire late yesterday morning bringing high based showers and isolated thunderstorms. Cloud cover and smoke from area fires kept temperatures down with afternoon temperatures generally in the upper 80s. As a result of cooler...
Joyce Anna Hickerson passed away peacefully on July 16, 2024 surrounded by her family. She was 97 years old. Joyce was born on November 22, 1926 in Kaukauna, WI, the second of five children. The family soon moved to Kelso, WA. After she graduated from Kelso High School she moved to Portland, OR to attend nursing school as a member of the World War II Cadet Nurse Corp through St. Vincent Medical Center, graduating from the University of Portland. She met the love of her life,...
Ken Wade Eddy, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away peacefully on June 12, 2024, in Alpharetta, GA, surrounded by his loving family. He was 79 years old. Born on December 10, 1944, in Staten Island, NY, to Melvin and Alice Eddy, Ken spent his formative years in Toppenish, Washington, where he graduated from Toppenish High School in 1963. He went on to attend Yakima Valley Community College from 1963 to 1965 before joining the U.S. Navy. Ken...
John Reed Myers passed away peacefully on July 9, 2024, from complications due to gastric cancer. He was 71. He is survived by his sister, Lorraine Smith of Spray, his brother, Bruce Myers of Astoria, and his dog, Billie Howliday, as well as many close friends and relatives. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Remembrances in his honor may be made to either the Animal Rescue Foundation GoFundMe at gofund.me/e9b24264 or to KFSL radio in Fossil, Oregon, both charities he...
