Updates: Lane County, city of Eugene open 15-bed, 24-hour clean air shelter (2024)

After providing day-use air respite centers in various forms since last Wednesday, Lane County announced Sunday evening that the Expo Center at the Lane Events Center will immediately be used for a 24/7 clean air shelter, operated by the city of Eugene.

Due to COVID-19 health protocols, the respite center will serve up to 15 vulnerable people experiencing homelessness, according to the county announcement. The center is available through a referral from White Bird, which isopen daily 9 a.m. to5 p.m.at 341 E. 12th Ave.or reached through its 24-hour crisis line 541-687-4000.

Hilyard Community Center will offer daytime clean air shelter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. The City and County request the help of community partners in identifying additional respite sites.

The city of Eugene and Lane County established three clean air shelters on Wednesday, Sept.9. The shelters were consolidated into one shelter at the Lane Events Center, which was staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. this weekend.

Additionally, Lane County continues to work with homeless service providers to provide N95 masks for distribution, so far supplying 300.

Smoke and fog lead to near zero visibility in Lane County

The National Weather Service in Portland issued advisories in Lane County fordense fog and smoke.

The combination of the smoke and fog limits visibility to less than one mile, with visibility from 0 to a half mile at times,leading to hazardous driving conditions and poor air quality.

Motorists, if they have to be on the road, should be prepared to stop suddenly and watch for bikers and pedestrians, who should make themselves visible with reflective clothing.If driving, slow down, use your headlights (but not your brights), and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.

The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency's Air Quality Index at 8 a.m. was hazardous around the county, with Eugene at 421 AQI, Cottage Grove at 473, and Oakridge at 408. It's the third consecutive day Eugene has hit 400 or higher on the index, which tops out at 500.

Official recommend limiting outdoor time and people with respiratory illnesses should remain indoors to avoid inhaling smoke.

With heavy smoke and fog blanketing much of the state, ODOT is reminding drivers the best thing they can do to stay safe is avoid driving unless absolutely.

Remember to check conditions if you must head out. A number of roads remain closed throughout the state. Go toTripcheck.comor call 5-1-1 for real time road conditions.

If you encounter heavy smoke while driving here are some steps you can take to help stay safe:

Slow down and stay alert. Slow driving gives you more time to respond to unexpected conditions.
Turn on your headlights.Even during daylight hours your headlights will help others on the road see you. Use low-beams as high-beams reflect off the moisture in the air and cause glare.
Use fog lights.If you have them, fog lights can help cut through the smoke.
Keep plenty of spacebetween you and other vehicles. Visibility, of course, decreases in smoke so maintain a safe stopping distance between you and the vehicle up front.
If visibility becomes too dangerousto continue, pull off to the side of the road as soon as safely possible.
Never stop in a travel lane.Look for a safe area completely off the road if possible and turn off all lights, including flashers, until it’s safe to continue.
Don’t tailgate.Keep a steady, reliable pace. Remember that everyone else on the road is in the same fix you’re in. They’re counting on you to help show the way.

Lane County lowers evacuation levels for certain areas

The evacuation level for residents on Camp Creek, Upper Camp Creek, McKenzie Highway between Cedar Flats and Camp Creek have been downgraded from a Level 3 ("go now") toa Level 2 ("be set"), Lane County announced at 4:45 p.m. Sunday.

The evacuation level for residents for all of Deerhorn remains at Level 3.

Pacific Power reports crews gaining momentum

Pacific Power reported Sunday that its crew membersare making headway in restoring power to areas hit wildfires, restoring another 1,700 customers in the past 24 hours. The company said it is making plans to restore more than 3,000 customers in Southern Oregon later this evening.

As of 3 p.m. Sunday, some 8,900 customers remain without service in Oregon and Northern California. An additional 2,500 are out of service until sometime later today.

Some Holiday Farm Fire evacuation zones downgraded

Several evacuation zones have been downgraded, Lane County announced at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Officals are emphasizing that the areas downgraded to Level 2 ("be set"), from Level 3 ("go now"), reflectthat fire danger has only subsidedenough to allow residents access so they can make additional preparations for their homes, livestock or other animals.

Residents should expect that if fire behavior increases, those areas may return to Level 3 and residents must be able to leave again at a moment’s notice.

The evacuation level for many residents in the Mohawk Valley has been downgraded from a Level 3 ("go now") to a Level 2 ("be set"). The downgraded area includes the Mohawk Valley to the Linn County line with two exceptions:

The area west of Marcola Road south of the intersection with Hill Road is being downgraded from a Level 2 ("be set") to a Level 1 ("be ready").

The area east of the Mohawk River from Wendling Road to the county line remains at Level 3 ("go now") , including Wending Road, Paschelke Road, Hileman Road, Bunker Hill Road and Mohawk River Road and their connecting roads.

The evacuation level for residents along Highway 126 from Thurston Road to the intersection of Cedar Flat Road, including Cedar Flat Road and Camp Creek Road west of Upper Camp Creek Road, is being downgraded from a Level 3 ("go now") to a Level 2 ("be set").

Level 2means there is significant danger to that area and residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area and be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. Emergency responders may not have time to provide you with additional notice if danger increases.

Here is a roundup of all LaneCounty evacuation notices as of 6 p.m. Saturday:

Death toll from wildfires reaches 33 on the West Coast

Nearly all of the dozens of people reported missing after a devastating blaze in Southern Oregon have been accounted for, authorities said, as crews continued to battle wildfires that have killed at least 33 victims from California to Washington state.

The flames have destroyed neighborhoods, leaving a barren, gray landscape in their wake, driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and cast a shroud of smoke over the region.

The crisis has come amid the coronavirus outbreak, the economic downturn and nationwide racial unrest that has led to protests in Portland for more than 100 days.

"What's next?" asked Danielle Oliver, who had to flee her home outside Portland. "You have the protests, coronavirus pandemic, now the wildfires. What else can go wrong?"

Late Saturday, the Jackson County Sheriff's office said that four people had died in the wildfire that burned in the Ashland area. Authorities earlier this week said as many as 50 people could be missing from the blaze. But they said the number of people unaccounted for is now down to one.

At least 10 people have been killed in the past week throughout Oregon. Officials have said more people are missing from other blazes, and the number of fatalities is likely to rise. Twenty-two people have died in California, and one person has been killed in Washington state.

— The Associated Press

How to find out if you're in an evacuation zone

With multipleevacuation noticesin effect for the McKenzie River corridor area, Lane County created aFire Zone Evacuation Address Search to quickly find out whether your address is in the evacuation zone.

Go to lcmaps.lanecounty.org/EvacuationSearch2020/index.htmlto enter in your address to find out.

Residents who are affected by the Holiday Farm Fire who have inquiries may call Lane County’s non-emergency call center at 541-682-3977 between7a.m. and 10p.m. After-hours calls will be transferred to the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency phone line. People also can go to lanecounty.org/mckenziefire

If you are under an evacuation notice, please comply with requests made for Level 1 (Be Ready), Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (Go Now).

Lane County has a temporary evacuation pointat Silke Field, 908 N. 10th Ave. inSpringfield for those who were able to evacuate to the west.

Holiday Farm Fire search and rescue operations begin

Search and rescue operations in areas affected by the Holiday Farm Fire began Saturday, starting around Rainbow and moving west toward Blue River.

The progress in stalling the fire, including the assembly of more manpower, let those search operations begin, Office of the State Fire Marshal spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons said Saturday morning. As of Saturday afternoon, one person is known to have died.

The fire burning in the McKenzie Valley around Highway 126threatens 17,732 structures, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported Saturday.

Simmons said firefighters expected Saturday's weather to be much like the day before: smoky, cool and beneficial for suppression efforts. He said firefighters expected terrain-driven fire Saturday, meaning it would burn uphill where firefighters can create breaks.

Simmons said firefighters would be working in the northwest, southern and northern portions of the fire Saturday, attempting to strengthen fire lines. Once firefighters are more confident those lines will hold, he said, evacuation levels may be lowered.

500,000 are told to evacuateor prepare to do so

Hundreds of firefighters battled two large wildfires Friday that threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland, and the governor said dozens of people are missing in other parts of the state.

The state’s emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said thousands of structures have been destroyed.

Gov. Kate Brown said more than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, either having been told to leave or to prepare to do so. She was dialing back on a statement Thursday by the state Office of Emergency Management that said a half-million people had been ordered to evacuate statewide.

— USA TODAY

Donations: Best way to help is to contribute financial donations

On Saturday, based on the overwhelming community support of goods and supplies, the organizers asked that the community pause from giving any more donations, and consider givingmonetarily.

Given the high volume of in-kind donations already received, both the Springfield Silke Field and the Eugene Roosevelt Boulevarddonation sites are no longer accepting donations. The latter site, managed by St. Vincent de Paul, United Way of Lane County and the Lane County Emergency Operations Center, was set up just Friday, and has already received an overwhelming outpouring of support of goods and supplies for victims of the Holiday Farm Fire.

At this point, the most helpful way for community members to contribute is to make a financial donations to United Way’s Wildfire Response Fund:http://egiving.unitedwaylane.org/wildfires.

If specific donated goods are needed for fire victims in coming weeks, an announcement of needed items and a donation site will be shared at that time.

St. Vincent de Paul, United Way of Lane County and the Lane County Emergency Operations Center are partnering with the grassroots organizers of the donation center to support the center.St. Vincent de Paul is managing the donation location and overall process.

Escaping the Holiday Farm Fire, many left with just the clothes on their backs

One step ahead of the fire, bringing little more than the kids, the pets and the clothes on their backs, many arrived in Springfield and Eugenesafe but unsure, alivebut lost.

The Holiday Farm Fire isestimated have burned about 161,800 acres as of Saturday morning,destroying the town of Blue River and damaging nearby communities. At least one person was killed, but search and rescue operations only truly began Saturday.

The fire began Monday night, and with it came the warnings to be ready to leave or to go now.Those who fled say their exits often were sudden, andnot everyone received alerts on their phones.

In choking smoke, under falling ash, driving past burning hillsides, evacuees fled beyond the fire's reach where they filled nearby relatives' homes, emergency shelters and hotel rooms. Whether they knew it yet or not, the things theyhad with them on arrival were now all they had— bare essentials and priceless keepsakes alike wereleft behind.

There was comfort in the kindness of strangers. There was relief in donations, great in their quantity but still not enough. There was joy in reunion with friends andneighbors.

But even days after leaving, many still donot know if their homes are standing. News that did filter back to them was often bad. There is little to do but take it day by day.

More:Escaping the Holiday Farm Fire, many left with just the clothes on their backs

Hazardous air quality cancels several weekend events

From parks to outdoor events, here's a list of closures because of the unhealthy, smoky air quality:www.registerguard.com/story/news/2020/09/11/holiday-farm-fire-closures-cancellations-lane-county/3473074001/

Gov. Brown: Dozens reported missing during Oregon wildfires

Dozens of people have been reported missing in the Oregon wildfires, Gov. Kate Brown confirmed Friday.

Oregon State Police are reporting dozens of cases, specifically in Lane, Jackson and Marion counties.

Oregon's Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps said thousands of structures have been destroyed in the catastrophic fires and officials were preparing for a "mass fatality event."

Oregon's wildfires ballooned to more than 1 million acres Friday.

Officials with the Marion County Sheriff's Office said as of Friday, 10people reported missing in connection to the wildfires have yet to be accounted for. The remains of four people have been found.

"At a time of great loss, the women and men of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office want to express their deepest condolences to those in our community who have lost loved ones and homes during these last few days,” Sheriff Joe Kast said in a statement.

Family members and officials confirmed that a 13-year-old boy and his 71-year-old grandmother died in theBeachie Creek Fire in Marion County.

Searchers also located two additional victims of the Beachie Creek Fire.

"Due to treacherous conditions, recovery efforts will be underway once a safe plan can be put into place," Griffith said. "Once the remains are identified, names will be released pending notification of next of kin."

One body was discoveredin a residence in the Goodpasture Road area of Vida within the perimeter of the Holiday Farms Fire, according to the Lane County Sheriff's Office.

Two bodies were recovered in the Almeda Fire in southern Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that 50 people remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the fire.

Many have turned to Twitter and Facebook for help with finding their missing loved ones. A father's tweet to find his daughter and her boyfriend, who went missing while camping near McKenzie Bridge, collected more than 23,000 retweets.

The woman and her boyfriend were located Thursday and are now safe, according to the father's social media page.

Brown did not provide a hard number of how many people were reported missing and said the primary focus remained on saving lives.

Brown said she expects the initial number of reports to change.

"Right now, I know that Oregonians are very eager to seek information," Brown said. "As we get more information regarding missing persons and fatalities and structure damage, we will certainly provide that information, but it is going to take time."

— Whitney Woodworth,Salem Statesman Journal

Greenhill Humane Society providing emergency pet services

Greenhill Humane Society is working with local authorities to provide emergency services for Lane County pets. This includes emergency boarding for dogs, cats and other small animals in evacuation zones.

To coordinate emergency boarding, contact Greenhill 24 hours-a-day at 541-689-1503 or www.green-hill.org.

Pet food and supplies are also being distributed at the evacuation zone and are available for pickup from Greenhill Humane Society at 88530 Green Hill Road.

— Matthew Denis

Firefighters: Beachie Creek, Riverside fires may create their own weather

The biggest concern about the Riverside Fire and Beachie Creek Fire is that they could merge,Holly Krake, public information officer with the Riverside Fire,said Friday morning. The fires were about 1 air mile apart, but they could merge if fire growth continues.

The concern about those fires merging is rooted in smoke.

In general, if smoke plumes from two massive fires converge, it has the potential to create “plume dominated” fire behavior. This behavior is marked on the ground by down draft winds, erratic wind shifts and plunging humidity.

Essentially, the fire could have its own weather.

These conditions can limit the ability for firefighters to combat the blaze directly and puts any towns in the fire’s path at greater risk. Fuels in the Mt. Hood National Forest – where the fire is burning – are already at record dryness levels.

“You combine extremely dry fuels, erratic winds, a fire creating its own weather conditions, it can lead to some of those extreme fire behaviors that just aren’t safe,” Krake said.

On Thursday, the fire’s intensity led officials to pull back all firefighting and emergency personnel for about two hours.

Clackamas Fire called it a “tactical pause” to allow firefighters to reposition and evaluate conditions.

“We haven’t abandoned you & working hard to keep you safe,” they tweeted.

Krake said 178 personnel are currently battling the fire, with more expected to arrive over the weekend.

Air support is also available, but due to thick smoke few flights have been made since the fire started on Sept. 8.

— Connor Radnovich, Salem Statesman Journal