(Update: Adding video, comments) REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Pet Evacuation Team said late Tuesday it is now caring for 175 animals evacuated from the Alder Springs Fire at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond – and thanks to the community, they are “all set” with donated food for them. “We have horses, goats, dogs,
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The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) works with the Oregon Health Authority along with other local agencies to review fire behavior and determine its effects on air quality. KTVZ News spoke with the DEQ on Tuesday about the Alder Springs fire, as well as how you can minimize the impact smoke has on your health.
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(Update: Adding video) BOTHELL, Wash. (KTVZ) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Alder Springs Fire burning in Jefferson County, Oregon. The state of Oregon’s request for a declaration under FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program was approved by FEMA Region 10 Acting Administrator
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Helicopters, tankers, smokejumpers and rappellers joined forces with ground crews to tackle a fire that broke out Monday morning and grew fast to 1,500 acres by late afternoon on the Crooked River National Grassland in southern Jefferson County.
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The Central Oregon Type 3 Interagency Management Team on Monday morning transitioned the Ferry Fire that broke out last week along the John Day River back to the local unit with a Type 4 Incident Commander. The fire as of Monday had burned 10,458 acres and was 78% contained.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Due to increasingly hot and dry conditions, as well as increased fire starts, the Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland, and Prineville District Bureau of Land Management will move into Stage 1 public use fire restrictions on Monday. Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 16, Stage 1 public use fire restrictions prohibit open fires, including wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires, on Central Oregon public
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SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) — The destructive Rowena Fire forced the evacuation of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum, so the Sunriver Nature Center stepped in to provide a temporary home for four displaced raptors. “We are currently caring for two bald eagles, a red-tailed hawk, and an American kestrel — all of whom were safely relocated to
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HERMISTON, Ore. (KGW) — Authorities issued a Level 3 evacuation order on Friday afternoon for areas south of Bensel Road to Klaus Road and east of Highway 395 to Alpine Drive due to a fire in the Hermiston area. The evacuation order was issued around 3:40 p.m. Friday. Deputies and assisting agencies closed roads and asked residents
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(Update: Adding video, comments from Bend Fire and Rescue) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Recent fires in Central Oregon and across the state are showing how devastating human-caused sparks can be. About 75% of wildfires are caused by humans, the Oregon Department of Forestry says. With Central Oregon’s fire season getting off to a dry, hot
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By Mary Gilbert, CNN Meteorologist (CNN) — A wildfire burning out of control in Oregon, near the state’s border with Washington, has destroyed homes and forced hundreds of evacuations and closures of major roadways as gusty winds threaten further spread and challenge firefighting crews. The Rowena Fire has burned 3,800 acres since it ignited on
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MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) — A new fire reported late Friday morning burned in grass, brush and juniper about six miles northeast of Madras. It covered about 126 acres by mid-afternoon, prompting a Level 1 GET READY evacuation notice in the area for a time. Around 1 p.m., the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office issued the Level
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Crews working in brisk winds quickly tackled and stopped the spread of a brushfire northeast of Madras Thursday afternoon that Jefferson County Fire Chief Jeff Blake told KTVZ News was sparked by a property owner who was mowing and struck a rock.
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Bend Fire & Rescue crews quickly contained a brush fire Thursday afternoon that broke out near the Stillwater Crossing apartments on the city’s south side, holding it to one-tenth of an acre and preventing any damage to nearby structures. The fire was reported around 4 p.m., with multiple callers indicating flames
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A new fire broke out late Wednesday afternoon on the east side of La Pine and prompted a quick Level 2 BE SET evacuation alert for a neighborhood, later reduced to Level 1 BE READY as crews contained the blaze.
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WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley spoke with KTVZ News Wednesday about efforts to improve forest management, through more thinning and prescribed burns, to reduce the intensity of major, destructive wildfires. On the same day, fellow Oregon Senator Ron Wyden introduced a bill to boost funding for such burns. Merkley told us, “A lot
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Initial attack crews and a helicopter responded to a new lightning-sparked brushfire Wednesday afternoon in southern Crook County. Incident 252, named the Sage Hollow Fire, was reported shortly after 2 p.m. and had burned about three acres of grass and brush, Central Oregon fire officials said. It was burning on BLM
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Update: Adding video, comments from incident commander) LA PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A small community south of La Pine is getting some help this wildfire season. “We call it hardening the community. If we can do things before a fire that make the community more resilient to it, that’s what we’re in the name to
Continue Reading THE DALLES, Ore. (KTVZ) — An 18-mile stretch of Interstate 84 was closed Wednesday afternoon and Level 3 GO NOW evacuations were ordered due to one of two wildfires burning on either side of the Columbia River Gorge. ODOT reported shortly after 2 p.m. that I-84 was closed between Mosier and The Dalles (milepost 64-82)
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(Update: Adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Forestry announced Tuesday that additional fire restrictions would go into effect for the Central Oregon District, starting on Monday, June 16th. Just hours later, an update: The Central Oregon District is now in HIGH fire danger risk. We spoke with an ODF representative to
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – Over the last week, several Oregon Department of Forestry fire protection districts have announced the start of fire season and implemented the necessary fire danger levels and restrictions to reduce the number of human-caused fires. Fire danger levels may be low, moderate, high, or extreme at different times throughout the year,
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