Taking a breath, Oregon wildfires close in.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by weisan

Yes, despicable behavior but hardly representative of humanity.

Much like the thread about someone creating a FB group to counter bikers on the road....

They don't represent the majority. Period.

Indeed. There are hundreds more stories of people helping eachother during this crisis than there are examples of the where the low road has been taken - you just have to look..

For example - Nossa Familia coffee in Portland:

Thank you so much to everyone who reached out to us with places in need of coffee today. This morning we decided to close our roastery so that staff could stay home, but Augusto and his teenage daughter Camila went in to grind a couple hundred pounds of coffee to distribute to relief efforts around the state. Thanks to a great customer who was able to pick up, coffee was delivered to wildfire disaster relief efforts at an evacuation shelter, Elks Lodge #142 in Milwaukie. We are also shipping some out to various fire departments throughout the state, and the rest from today will go to @thewavenw which is working to supply shelters, frontline workers and fire departments in towns and tribal areas around the state. Please support and donate to them if you can.
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We also want to give a huge shoutout to Technivorm-Moccamaster USA @moccamasterusa who reached out to us and will be donating brewers to shelters and firefighters so they will have a great way to brew this coffee!! Thank you!

[bianchi10]

Originally Posted by weisan

Yes, despicable behavior but hardly representative of humanity.

Much like the thread about someone creating a FB group to counter bikers on the road....

They don't represent the majority. Period.

100% agree. There are tons of people helping people. Its uplifting to hear those stories. Unfortunately, equally frustrating to hear stories of people trying to hurt others.

Hoping that these fires will be contained soon and that we can move forward in repairing the damage of our communities.

God bless our first response teams and volunteers!

[shinomaster]

There are a lot of false rumors circulating. Don’t believe everything you hear https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020...wildfires.html

[Fixed]

Stay inside there are criminals roaming the streets at night even in pac heights

[nighthawk]

Please do not contribute to spreading misinformation. It adds unnecessary strain on law enforcement.

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/09/...heck-debunked/

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that in rural parts of the state, vigilante groups have organized to drive off rumored threats. One of the station's reporters was recently stopped by such a group in Clackamas County and told to leave.

Law enforcement organizations have been working to quash the rumors.

In Douglas County, the sheriff's office shot down rumors that it had arrested several antifa members, calling the conflagration of misinformation a drain on resources.

"Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON," the Sheriff's office posted to its Facebook page this week.

Similar rumors spread in Jackson County, where officials opened an investigation into the Almeda fire.

"In no way does it point towards any political group, including anybody associated with antifa. Any rumors suggesting that it is pointed toward antifa are entirely fabricated," said Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara.

The FBI field office in Portland says it has investigated such rumors are found them untrue.

"Conspiracy theories and misinformation take valuable resources away [from] local fire and police agencies working around the clock to bring these fires under control," the field office said in a statement on Friday.

[ORMojo]

The Superintendent of my children's school district sent an email last night updating school plans (start of school has been delayed another 2 weeks). In the email he called for calm, noting that "just today I, myself, was stopped at gunpoint by a citizen in one of our communities as I was routinely traveling the district to check in on the condition of our schools."

[robt57]

Originally Posted by bianchi10

100% agree. There are tons of people helping people. Its uplifting to hear those stories.

seems when things are at their worst we are at our best.

Hoping that these fires will be contained soon and that we can move forward in repairing the damage of our communities.

Make me feel guilty that I just want to get a ride in...

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by shinomaster

There are a lot of false rumors circulating. Don’t believe everything you hear https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020...wildfires.html

This begs the question, how did all these massive fires start? In California, there was this massive, unprecedented lightning storm.

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by shinomaster

I'm from Elmira NY and the homes there are basically free when compared to Portland housing. Sadly there are no job as you might expect.

sorry for the thread drift but, no way! I grew up 20 miles south - Mansfield PA, and was always in Elmira once I got my drivers license since the drinking age was 18 in NY vs 21 in PA. Beautiful country, sometimes when I see old friends post photos from the region on FB I think, I could live there. But then I remember the politics, the lack of decent grocery stores, restaurants, coffee, the winters, the odd remants of hurricanes and tropical storms, the distance to the coast, the mosquitoes, the ticks and think, nah.

These fires notwithstanding, I think the wet side of the Cascades will continue to be one of the more habitable regions (from an environmental perspective) in the decades to come. I do worry that the political unrest will get worse (not much of an issue back in the Northern Tier of PA - it's so red and everyone is well armed ...). I fear other parts of the West, particularly the southwest and dry interior West, may become very challenging places for humans to live.

[Tandem Rider]

Originally Posted by MikeD

This begs the question, how did all these massive fires start? In California, there was this massive, unprecedented lightning storm.

I have read from multiple reliable sources that 13 fires started along US 20 Santiam Hwy because of high winds toppling trees onto power lines.

All wildfires are investigated initially as possible arson until proven otherwise. Sometimes it's an obvious cause such as in these cases, sometimes a lightning strike is tracked, sometimes it's a careless campfire, sometimes it remains unknown. The Almeda Fire near Ashland is currently suspected arson.

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

sorry for the thread drift but, no way! I grew up 20 miles south - Mansfield PA, and was always in Elmira once I got my drivers license since the drinking age was 18 in NY vs 21 in PA. Beautiful country, sometimes when I see old friends post photos from the region on FB I think, I could live there. But then I remember the politics, the lack of decent grocery stores, restaurants, coffee, the winters, the odd remants of hurricanes and tropical storms, the distance to the coast, the mosquitoes, the ticks and think, nah.

These fires notwithstanding, I think the wet side of the Cascades will continue to be one of the more habitable regions (from an environmental perspective) in the decades to come. I do worry that the political unrest will get worse (not much of an issue back in the Northern Tier of PA - it's so red and everyone is well armed ...). I fear other parts of the West, particularly the southwest and dry interior West, may become very challenging places for humans to live.

My grandfather lived for many years in Roseville and is now settled in Troy, PA. I’ve spent a lot of time in that beautiful area, as well. Agree with your assessment.

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by MikeD

This begs the question, how did all these massive fires start? In California, there was this massive, unprecedented lightning storm.

The El Dorado fire in CA was attributed to pyrotechnics at a gender reveal party.

In OR, as Tandem said... high winds knocking down trees/powerlines sparked many of the current fires.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by nighthawk

The El Dorado fire in CA was attributed to pyrotechnics at a gender reveal party.



In OR, as Tandem said... high winds knocking down trees/powerlines sparked many of the current fires.

Some were burning already, then we got high winds and super dry air.. perfect storm, as they say.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Some were burning already, then we got high winds and super dry air.. perfect storm, as they say.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

For sure.. and some, like in Lincoln County are attributed to human activity (possibly campfire, burn pile, or discarded cigarette) but not necessarily arson.

Hoping for improved conditions in the coming days. My gf lives in Portland and the poor air quality has been a real struggle for her.

[shinomaster]

Originally Posted by MikeD

This begs the question, how did all these massive fires start? In California, there was this massive, unprecedented lightning storm.

People don't realize how bone dry Oregon gets in the summer, and California too. There is no rain for months, and Climate change means that the dry seasons are longer. This means there is a super abundance of dry fuel everywhere, just waiting to burn. California is also in a drought, and I've read the whole west coast is entering, or has entered a period of reduced rainfall. We had an extreme wind event. We always have some fires, usually due to human activities like camping, cigarettes, fireworks etc... but the wind made everything rage uncontrollably. On the 4th of July my friend said there were idiots setting off major fireworks in the Mt. Hood National forest. This needs to be a federal ******* crime from now on. Fireworks should be and need to be banned in California and Oregon and Washington. A could years ago a teenager threw a firework in the Columbia gorge and burned a major part of the forest.