KWSO News Wed., Jul. 14, 2021

Warm Springs Tribal Police are asking for the community’s help in locating 74-year-old Evans Spino Sr. His family reported that he was last seen in Warm Springs on Friday, July 9^th. His vehicle is a 1969 yellow and white GMC truck, license plate 326YMA.  Anyone with information is asked to contact tribal police 541-553-1171.

Hot and breezy afternoon conditions yesterday did not impact behavior on the Grandview Fire too drastically. It is still estimated to be approximately 5,723 acres burning on private lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Crooked River National Grassland managed lands. Firefighters were able to make good progress holding and securing lines around the fire. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for westerly winds 10-20 mph (gusts to 25 mph) coupled with low relative humidity today and on Thursday.  This will challenge efforts to keep the fire within established control lines.

Oregon and Washington state have moved into the highest level of wildfire preparedness as the largest wildfire in the United States continues to scorch hundreds of thousands of acres. The states climbed early today to Preparedness Level 5, or PL5, meaning places could experience “complex wildland fire incidents, which have the potential to exhaust national wildland firefighting resources,” according to guidance from the National Interagency Fire Center. The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center announced the hike in alert status just three days after increasing it to PL4.  The most threatening wildfire in the region is the Bootleg Fire in southwestern Oregon’s Fremont-Winema National Forest. It has charred more than 200,000 acres since starting July 6. Overall, 67 large fires have scorched more than 900,000 acres across 12 states, the latest data from the fire center shows.

Health officials have identified 14 counts of the Delta variant of the coronavirus as of July 3 in Oregon.  Preliminary data suggest that approximately 5% of variants circulating in Oregon in recent weeks are Delta.

Today’s air quality report for Warm Springs shows the Air Quality Index rating is “good”, meaning it is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk. The pollen and allergy level is medium-high and pollen levels will affect a large number of individuals who suffer from the pollen types of the season – the top allergens are grasses and chenopods. And, the UV Index is very high today at a 10. Protection against sun damage is needed. If you need to be outside during midday hours between 10 am and 4pm, take steps to reduce sun exposure.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Airport officials facing jet fuel shortages are concerned they’ll have to wave off  planes and helicopters that drop fire retardants during what could be a ferocious wildfire season, potentially endangering surrounding communities. U.S. officials say they’ve already had sporadic shortages at some tanker bases and fear multiple bases running out simultaneously during what is shaping up to be a ferocious wildfire season in the U.S. West. Airport officials, aviation companies and jet fuel transport companies say jet fuel supply chains that atrophied during the coronavirus pandemic haven’t been able to rebuild fast enough to keep pace with the reopening of the U.S. economy.