Mandatory evacuations expanded at Williams Creek Fire
Flames from the Williams Creek Fire burn near Hwy 138. Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Transportation. By John Tierney KVAL NEWSGLIDE, Ore. – Mandatory evacuations were expanded Tuesday near the Williams Creek Fire, which is burning near Glide, Ore. Residents have to leave five homes in the Moore Hill area, west of the fire along Highway 138. The flames aren’t directly threatening the homes right now, but the evacuation was ordered as a safety precaution, according to Tom Lavagnino, an information officer for the Interagency Incident Management Team. The Steamboat Inn on the east side of the fire has also been under a mandatory evacuation, as well as two campgrounds in the area. Firefighters are slowly getting a handle on the fire, although they don’t expect to have it contained until Monday. Mother Nature has not helped their cause – low humidity during recent nights doesn’t help slow down the flames. Firefighters also have to navigate through large amounts of poison oak. Lavagnino said one firefighter was hospitalized after a bad reaction to poison oak. He added many firefighters are not from the western U.S. and don’t know how to spot the poisonous plant before walking right through it. Highway 138 is still closed, starting about 20 miles east of Glide until Steamboat. Check with ODOT for real-time closure updates. |
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February 9, 2012
- Roseburg, Oregon
