Governor activates National Guard to help fight wildfires

Wildfire smoke delayed but did not keep Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell from paying a visit Wednesday to the scene of the over 48,000-acre Canyon Creek Complex Fire, hours after authorities raised the tally of destroyed homes to 36.

While in Grant County, Brown announced that she has activated Oregon National Guard members to assist in firefighting efforts.

About 125 soldiers will begin training this week at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training in Salem.

“Oregon National Guard members will join first responders who are working tirelessly to battle these unpredictable wildfires,” Brown said. “We have weeks of fire season left, and it is incumbent upon us to make sure that above all else, we continue to protect the public’s safety.”

Already this summer, the National Guard has dedicated resources to fighting wildfires, with four Blackhawk helicopters and support personnel assisting in the effort.

“Prevention is crucial. We need every Oregonian and visitor to be fire-savvy and aware of fire restrictions and common-sense practices,” the governor said.

After their training, Oregon National Guard members are expected to join the fire line late next week.

Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer released the revised figure of destroyed homes ahead of the visit by Brown, who because of the smoke was flown to Baker City than driven to John Day, where she arrived in the late morning for a briefing at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Brown joined Tidwell in a briefing on the status of not just the Canyon Creek Complex but the array of wildfires hitting the state and West in recent weeks. She also shook hands and thanked numerous firefighters in attendance.

The fire grew another 4,000 acres on Tuesday and remains at zero containment.

Tidwell also was on hand for the visit to the top priority among 11 large fires burning across the state.

NewsChannel 21’s Kandra Kent was on hand for the visit and tour and will have a full report in Wednesday evening’s newscasts.

The visit comes as firefighting resources are maxed out for the region, and incident commanders are releasing crews and equipment from lower-priority fires so they can pitch in on top-priority fires.

Thick smoke blew into John Day Wednesday morning, lowering air quality to “unhealthy” levels, according to the DEQ’s monitoring station

Palmer said in a news release that the sheriff’s office “has completed its assessment of fire damage in the Canyon Creek drainage, from Canyon City south to the national forest boundary on County Road 65.”

He said the total “so far” was of 36 homes destroyed, and several properties had multiple dwellings that were lost. Also, more than 100 outbuildings were lost.

“The list may change depending on fire activity on other fronts,” he said, thanking volunteer Jodie Fleck of Crook County for helping compile a spreadsheet of the lost and damaged properties.

Meanwhile, evacuation levels were reduced Tuesday evening in some areas on the north end of the Canyon Creek Complex Fire, allowing some Canyon City-area residents to return home — but not for many in the canyon where earlier it had been estimated at least 26 homes burned.

Here’s the Wednesday morning fire update

The Canyon Creek Complex is currently estimated at 48,201 acres. It is the number one priority nationally for resources with approximately 649 personnel currently assigned to this incident.

Yesterday , firefighters set hose lines in the northeast corner of the fire as a contingency should winds shift and again push the fire towards homes located there.

The fire burned very actively in the Vance Creek area during the morning, advancing toward a main power line that is a priority resource to protect. Late in the afternoon, the fire advanced to the south and west of the Dry Soda Lookout area. The fire also backed into the Canyon Creek area, where firefighters successfully defended homes.

Today , firefighters will again concentrate work in these two areas in order to limit the fire’s expansion and protect houses and private lands. Some priority areas today are around the Wickiup Campground and Road 3925 areas on the south side of the fire and the Fall Mountain area to the west.

Recent weather patterns are expected to continue. Afternoon northwest winds may generate increased fire activity and visible smoke throughout the area.

Oregon Department of Transportation crews will continue to work along the Highway 395 corridor removing hazardous trees and material on or near the roadway.

Due to successful work on the north end of the fire, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office decreased evacuation levels from Level 3 to Level 2 in some areas on the north end of the Canyon Creek Complex fire yesterday . These changes are for residents of the affected areas only.

The areas reduced to Level 2 are as follows:
* Adam Marysville
* Eagle Peak Gardner Ranch
* Pineview Buckhorn
* Edgewood Little Pine

Marysville from Hwy. 395 to Dog Creek and the junction of Hwy. 26 is CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC. Only homeowners will be able to access that portion of the road. Homeowners on the lower Little Canyon Mountain Trail area can also access their homes.

Areas remaining at Level 3 evacuation orders:
* South from Dog Creek to Little Dog Creek will stay closed and under a Level 3 evacuations
* Upper end of Pine Creek from the road closure near the rock pit will remain under a Level 3 evacuation.
* Canyon Creek, from the fire perimeter north at Canyon City, south to the 15, 16 junction will remain under a Level 3 evacuation.

Both sides of Izee Road from 395 to the Mike Moore Ranch remain at Level 2.

An American Red Cross shelter has been established at the Mt. Vernon Community Center at 640 Ingle Street.

The Red Cross is providing financial and relief services for displaced residents. Those wishing to make monetary donations can contact the American Red Cross Mountain River Chapter at redcross.org/cascades or in person at the shelter located on Ingle Street in Mt. Vernon. The Red Cross is opening a service center at the LDS Church in John Day from 1-4 p.m.

Closures
An emergency fire closure is in effect in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness area. A copy of the closure order and map is available at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4495/ Forest Service personnel have assisted with escorting campers and other recreationalists out high-use areas, coordinating with Grant County Sheriff’s Office and other local agencies to facilitate the closure.

Fire activity will likely have some effect on hunting. For more information, contact http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/

Additional information on the Canyon Creek Complex can be found on Inciweb at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4495/.

Please be advised of increased fire traffic and smoky conditions throughout the area. Forest officials ask that the public stay clear of all fire activities.

Additional fire information can be found at JDIDC – BICC sites online at: http://bicc-jdidc.org/index.shtml.

For more information on the Malheur National Forest, please visit us at www.fs.usda.gov/malheur, follow U.S. Forest Service- Malheur National Forest on Facebook, and follow @MalheurNF on Twitter for all the latest forest news.

To report a fire, contact the John Day Interagency Dispatch Center at 541-575-1321 or the Burns Interagency Communication Center at 541-573-1000.

Email Address: canyoncreekcomplex@gmail.com

Facebook: Great Basin National Incident Management Team 1

Old West Federal Credit Union, in partnership with the Fairgrounds Relief Effort, has set up an account where people can donate funds that will directly benefit Grant County residents who have been affected by the Canyon Creek Complex fire.

Donations may be made to a deposit account at Old West titled “Community Fire Relief Fund.” People can fill out a form stating where they would like to direct the donation.

Donations may be made in person at an Old West branch or by mail to Old West Federal Credit Union, 650 W. Main St., John Day, OR 97845.

A Facebook page in John Day to coordinate relief efforts has been created at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairgrounds-Relief-Center/1602176766737761?fref=ts

Meanwhile, LaDeena Plemmons, whose uncle, Dean Fox, lost his home in Grant County, has started a donation account available at any Wells Fargo bank – the Canyon Creek Complex Fire Donation Fund, to help all those affected who have lost everything. For more information, contact her at 541-815-2572

Meanwhile, the Red Cross is handing out shovels, rakes and flashlights to people returning to homes near Canyon City, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Lisa Stroup, executive director for the Red Cross in Central and Eastern Oregon, said families need the tools to sift through what was left by the wind-driven fire. Stroup said people have also volunteered the use of their backhoes to bury dead livestock and donated hay to feed those that survived.

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As fire ripped down the canyon, residents in Canyon City scrambled to flee, the smoke and flames in the rear view mirror.

“I didn’t know. I accepted the fact that I might lose my house,” Canyon City resident Eva Harris said Monday.

That’s just what happened to 26 homes when the Canyon Creek Complex Fire shot down the ridge on Friday, showing no mercy.

“The hardest part is seeing my neighbors houses completely burned,” Harris said.

Another 50-plus structures were damaged and more than 500 still threatened as the fire kept growing Monday, primarily to the south.

As of late Monday night, more than 560 firefighters had been called out and the fire stood at 40,132 acres — and zero containment.

Crews on the ground often dug lines by hand in areas too steep for bulldozers to climb, while helicopters doused hot spots from above.

It’s around-the-clock work on the nation’s top-priority fire, where firefighters also could be the most loved in the nation, judging from all the “thank you” signs and car honks of support.

“There’s firefighters all around town, and I’d like to just say hey thank you for all that you do,” one girl said, holding up one such sign along the highway.

As crews continue the fight, fearful residents are returning to see what’s left.

Harris heard rumors about her home. She braced herself.as she drove through the devastation.

“I lost two of the outbuildings — and that’s just okay, because I still have a home,” she said.

A miracle — especially when you see her neighbor’s house.

Dean Fox said, “The worst part about it is, we knew it was bad. We thought we could try to save it.”

The Fox family and others will have to start over. But they won’t do it on their own

“I feel fortunate, I really do,” Harris said. “But I realize I have a lot of work to do to help my neighbors.”