Fire Agencies Issue Burn Ban Firefighters Continue to Face Chal- HILARY DORSEY Lenges with the Pace of Current Fire [email protected] Season
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School mask Work in mandate progress opposition Page A2 Page A3 Wednesday, .50 August 18, 2021 $1 thechronicleonline.com Serving Columbia County since 1881 Fire agencies issue burn ban Firefighters continue to face chal- HILARY DORSEY lenges with the pace of current fire [email protected] season. “We can’t control the weather JEREMY C. RUARK or fire starts from lightning,” Hirsch [email protected] said, “We can and we must prevent how many human-caused fires we Columbia County has moved add to the landscape.” to Extreme Fire Danger, and all ODF’s Chief of Fire Protection outdoor burning is now closed, Doug Grafe said the mix of heat, according to the Columbia County lightning and low humidity contin- Fire District Board, which issued ues to heighten the danger. the burn ban Aug. 12. “We have, along with the chal- All open burning is prohibited, lenging temperatures, likelihood even in Columbia County parks, of lightning,” Grafe said. “That’s a including recreational campfires, difficult forecast for us with lower portable propane/patio fireplaces, humidity on top of the ongoing and charcoal BBQ’s. drought.” “Anytime we go to an extreme Fire agency officials said the fire danger, it is definitely serious,” days ahead mean everyone must be Columbia River Fire & Rescue wildfire aware. District’s Rainier Station Battalion “We as the general public are Chief Jerry Cole said. “We know probably the number one helper in this inconveniences people with rec- this,” Oregon Fire Marshal Mariana reational fires, but it is for the best.” Ruiz-Temple said. “We have a role.” According to Cole, everyone Oregon Office of Emergency needs to be vigilant during such Management Director Andrew extreme fire danger. Phelps said every Oregonian was in “If you see smoke, or see a fire, some way impacted by last year’s call 9-1-1 and we will respond to wildfire season, whether they were check it out,” he said. evacuated or experienced poor air Fire officials warn that even quality from smoke. tossing a cigarette or parking your “We need to use these experi- vehicle in tall grass can lead to ences of our past emergencies and wildfires that will spread fast due Courtesy of Oregon Forestry Department disasters to inform and strengthen to the extreme dry conditions and Fire agencies in Columbia County continue to urge everyone to be aware of the extreme wildfire danger. our statewide preparedness,” Phelps afternoon winds. said. “Too many of us in Oregon “Carelessness is the biggest individual financial responsibility Statewide wildfire danger Canyonville and the Middle Fork are underprepared. We need to work cause of wildfires,” according to a for damages caused. Complex near Oakridge. together to change that.” release from the fire district board, The Columbia County Fire Statewide, lightning over the Oregon Department of Forestry Phelps said residents and busi- “so it is everyone’s responsibility to District Board includes Columbia weekend has caused a series of Forester Nancy Hirsch said fire nesses should have and practice an practice fire safety.” River Fire & Rescue, Clatskanie new wildfires. Five major wild- conditions continue to worsen from emergency evacuation plan, which Escaped fires of any kind result- Fire District, Mist-Birkenfeld Fire fire complexes erupted following drought and high temperatures. includes having copies of critical ing in property damage or requir- District, Oregon Department of lightning strikes over the past few “One single spark can start a ing suppression efforts from a fire Forestry, Scappoose Fire District days, triggering 100 fires, including fire that can spread quickly,” Hirsch agency, may result in fines and and the Vernonia Fire District. the Skyline Ridge Complex near said. See BAN Page A4 Delta cases surge, mask mandate resumes JEREMY C. RUARK [email protected] The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 4,396 new con- firmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths from Aug. 13 through Aug. 15. The state’s total COVID-19 case count reached 242,843 and there have been 2,949 deaths as of Aug. 16. Columbia County saw 19 new cases through that weekend period. The OHA reported 80 new cases of COVID-19 in Columbia County Courtesy photo Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 11, and Christina Manning and her sister Jessica Dunagan at a shoot in the Seattle area dur- one new death. That has been one ing the reality television series. of the largest one-day case surges in Columbia County since the CO- VID-19 pandemic spread across the Back to reality: Former state over a year ago. Health officials said the major- ity of the new cases are from the Metro Creative Connection / The Chronicle Delta variant and largely among the The goal of indoor mask requirements is to limit the spread of the Delta variant as Clatskanie sisters on TV unvaccinated. much as possible indoors, where COVID-19 spreads more easily, according to Gov. Brown. The requirement works in combination with efforts to encourage more Orego- “This show captures our relation- nians to become fully vaccinated. JEREMY C. RUARK ship in its purest and most raw form,” Mask mandate [email protected] she said. “We are extremely close adults are vaccinated,” she said. hospitals run out of beds, we are all Oregon’s indoor face covering “The harsh reality is that Delta is at risk.” In April, The Chronicle first told and the viewers will learn that even with an unbreakable bond, there are mandate resumed on Friday, Aug. a different virus. It has changed According to Brown, the our readers about two former Clats- 13. everything.” pandemic has taught that quick, kanie sisters who had been chosen challenges that come with that. It has affected all areas of our life and we Gov. Kate Brown said the effort Brown said the Oregon Health decisive action saves lives. to be part of a new reality television to require the face coverings at all Authority and Oregon Health Brown said vaccines are the series. get to share the ups and downs with viewers.” public indoor settings is needed to Sciences University report that best way for individuals to protect Christina Manning and Jessica slow the rapidly spreading CO- without new safety interventions, themselves and their families from Dunagan are featured in a the TLC Manning said the essence of the television series is aimed at viewers’ VID-19 Delta virus in the state. COVID-19 hospitalizations will the deadly virus. Network’s “Meet the World’s Most Brown opened a Wednesday completely overwhelm the doctors “It is clear that the situation Extreme Sisters,” which premiered hearts. “Our hope is to show viewers morning, Aug. 11 press conference and nurses in the coming weeks. requires immediate action to stop April 25. The series follows a group by saying the latest COVID-19 the Delta variant from travel- of sisters during their everyday lives. - that no matter what - when you have a sister bond, nothing can come numbers are “shocking.” ing further,” Brown said. “Masks Our original report has been “Yesterday we had over 2,300 are simple and they are effective. one of the most viewed stories at between that,” she said. “We open up and share our dynamic with so much cases of COVID-19, the highest Masks are also our best bet in keep- thechronicleonline.com, the online number since the virus first landed ing our schools and our businesses version of The Chronicle. vulnerability, and we want to touch We are all still in danger. people’s hearts with our story. We in Oregon,” Brown said. “Hospital- ~ Kate Brown, Oregon Governor open. Wearing a mask should give In our April interview, Manning izations are also up at a record high. you confidence that you are not said the show is designed to give also want the residents of Clatskanie to know, that even growing up in a Across the state our ICU beds are infecting others.” viewers a close and personal inside about 90% filled. Some of our hos- Oregon Health Authority Direc- look of relationships between sisters. small town, your dreams can come true!” pital regions have fewer than five tor Patrick Allen told reporters that The TLC programming lineup ICU beds available to start the day.” “Without safety measures we the Delta variant virus is spreading now includes several other new real- Brown said the numbers are could be as many as 500 hospital uncontrollably among people who Opinions ................... A4 ity series and the Meet the Worlds the result of the COVID-19 Delta beds short of what we need to treat are not vaccinated. variant. people by September,” Brown said. TV Guide ................... A5 “These numbers are despite the “And that’s patients coming into fact that nearly 73% of Oregon’s Classified Ads ......... A6 See TV SHOW Page A3 the hospitals for any reasons. When See MANDATE Page A4 Legals .................... A6-8 Crossword ................ A8 Sports & Outdoors A10 Vol. 139, No. 33 ColumbiaCountyOR.Gov/Vaccine | 503-397-7247 A2 www.thechronicleonline.com Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Oregon’s traffic fatalities on the rise deaths. departure type crashes are these signs were added to help caused by driver behavior and “It is not a good thing,” JEREMY C. RUARK “We are alarmed about becoming more common and get motorists attention and poor decisions, we are trying he said. “These driver actions [email protected] the overall increase in severe can be caused by a variety of keep them focused on staying to get their attention through are really law enforcement The number of fatal and crashes statewide,” Torres reasons including speeding, in their lane,” he said the extra signage.” issues, not something that can serious injury traffic crashes said.