KWSO News for Mon., Aug, 30, 2021

Teams participating in the 39th annual Hood to Coast Relay crossed the finish line in Seaside Saturday after the 199-mile relay run. Teams began at Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood early Friday morning. Start times for teams were spaced out to promote social distancing, and runners are required to wear masks at checkpoints and the after-party in Seaside.

It’s been a busy season for firefighters, and that includes those affiliated with the nine federally-recognized tribes in Oregon. The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates about 1 out of every 5 firefighters are Native American. Many sign up for this grueling, seasonal job because it pays well and is steady work. Another reason is to help other tribes protect their ancestral lands and assets, like timber

The Bull Complex fire is roughly 60 miles east of Salem, near the Warm Springs Reservation in the Mt. Hood National Forest. It has grown nearly 470 acres since Saturday, reaching 9,398 acres with 3% containment.  Crews are strengthening and holding containment lines while focusing on the southeast and northeast portions where the fire is up against containment lines. Firefighting aircraft are being challenged with poor visibility,though water bucket drops and helicopter water suppression efforts are still happening during periods of “adequate visibility.”

The death toll from COVID-19 in Oregon is climbing so rapidly in some counties that the state has organized delivery of one refrigerated truck to hold the bodies and is sending a second one. The state emergency management department says refrigerated trucks to hold bodies have been requested by Tillamook and Josephine counties. A refrigerated truck arrived in Tillamook County on Friday, loaned by Klamath County. In a statement, the Tillamook County commissioners said that from Aug. 18 to Aug. 23, there were six new COVID-19 deaths in the county, surpassing the five total deaths that occurred during the first 18 months of the pandemic.

An earthquake shook off the shore of the Oregon Coast early Monday morning. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake struck about 149 miles west of Bandon around 4:30 a.m. It was over 13 miles deep. At this time, there is no word on if any coastal residents felt shaking as a result of the quake. There are no tsunami warnings in place.