By SU STELLA/For The Herald — It is heartbreaking to watch the news and see all the fires in Oregon. Gov. Kate Brown has been very active giving updates every few days, so please keep yourself informed. With the cooler temperatures it is easy to have a false sense of security especially since we are not smothered in smoke like last year.
Unfortunately, those 120-degree days have done damage to our ecosystem, causing our trees to brown. The threat of having a fire ravage the town is very real. It is so dangerous that the state has instituted new rules.
Starting July 22 there are no campfires east of Interstate 5.
No campfires even in designated campfire areas. This includes charcoal fires, cooking fires, warming fires, pellet-fueled grills, candles, tiki torches and other devices that emit flames or embers. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied, or bottle fuels are allowed, though propane fire pits are not. Smoking is allowed only inside buildings and automotive vehciles.
IMPORTANT! Highway 58 is our only escape route.
The Aufderheide Scenic Byway (Forest Road 19) is closed 52 miles from Oakridge because of a rockslide near Terwilliger hot springs. The old Highway 58 on the north side of Lookout Point Reservoir is in very poor condition; parts are so deeply rutted that only 4-wheel-drive vehicles can pass.
I cannot stress the need to get out quickly to avoid clogging the road at the last minute.
Our evacuation experiences
In 1998, my partner Curt Harville and I moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, and we were so excited to live 5 blocks from the beach! The first few years we had a few tropical storms pass that did minimal damage to the area. I scoffed at the idea of evacuating.
When Hurricane Ivan was approaching landfall, in 2004, I will never forget standing on the beach looking overhead at long spiraling arms of the feeder bands. Biloxi was spared, but our condo in Gulf Shores, Alabama, was hit hard.
It was two weeks before the owners were even allowed in the area. I had never imagined the devastation would be so horrible. That is when I knew that I would not risk my life to “save my house.”
Our first 2005 evacuation was from Hurricane Dennis, and it was a disaster. We filled our car and waited for instructions. When the orders came on over the news we left and so did everyone else. We sat in stop-and-go traffic for 14 hours on a trip that should have been 5 hours. This destroyed my transmission but opened our eyes. After that we were the first ones on the road to safety.
Our neighbor Mr. Strange literally laughed at us as we left to evacuate Katrina.
The police were going door to door begging people to leave. Those that refused were handed toe tags and a Sharpie marker. “Put your name, address and date of birth on this to make it easier for us to process your body if you don’t make it.”
Mr. Strange replied, ‘We lived north of the railroad tracks, and it had never flooded before and my people never cut and run.” During the height of the storm, he stood in the dark with knee-deep water rising and no idea if he would live.
When you decide to stay home, you are putting front-line emergency workers in danger to rescue you later. Not cool!
The best tips that I can share
Always have a full tank of gas. From Oakridge to the Lowell covered bridge is just under 22 miles and from Oakridge to Crescent is 43 miles. Assume that you will be stuck in traffic so be ready.
Prepare Your Family. If you work outside of the Oakridge area be sure your children know where to go, you will not have time to come back home. Pre-arrange with a family member or friend that can grab them and go. Tell them to CALL YOU SAYING THEY ARE EVACUATNG with your kids.
Know where to go. Hotels are expensive and the closest from town will fill up quickly. Those near other fire ravaged areas are probably already full. If you can head to a family or friends house that is your best option.
Have your bags packed. Don’t put this off because you may have only a few minutes notice before you must leave.
— Important Papers like titles, banking info, insurance papers etc.
— Treasured photos or family heirlooms
— Clothes you love because this may be all you have left.
— Medications and photos of all your pill bottles in case the pharmacy or doctor’s office burns down.
— C-Pap machines and medical devices.
— Pets and supplies – Food, bedding, leashes etc… Do not leave them behind. *But don’t put your life in danger because you cannot find your cat. Use your best judgement.
— Snacks and water for people and pets in case you are stuck in traffic.
Do NOT expect an official warning! Be self-reliant because our town is understaffed, and fire conditions can change in minutes! It is better to be safe and escape early, than to regret it.
Cash. Stockpile as much as you can just in case that gas station in the middle of nowhere cannot accept cards.
Your Media Kit. Phones, computers, cameras and all cables or cords.
Blankets, tents and camping gear. If you have room, these few items give you more options in case you cannot find shelter.
EXTRAS
If you can afford to, buy flame-retardant clothing and head covering in case, you were forced to leave your vehicle.
Have a flashlight next to your bed in case the town utility cuts off the electricity. Buy battery-operated tap lights and have at least one on every night.
After you finish reading this, grab your phone and start taking photos of everything around your house for insurance purposes.
If disaster really strikes be prepared for huge delays and long wait times for your insurance company to respond. They are dealing with victims of other disasters throughout the country.
Secure any firearms that you cannot take with you. Unfortunately, looters will take advantage of disasters.
If you have a second car that is in good repair and you are forced to leave behind, keep the tank full for a friend or neighbor that has an unreliable one.
Biloxi after Katrina
Our house was on the Biloxi peninsula. The Gulf of Mexico’s storm surge created a wall of water on the coast side, but it also drove millions of gallons into the Back Bay which then surrounded and submerged most of the peninsula leveling thousands of houses.
It was about 12 days before we were allowed back in town because the authorities had to clear downed powerlines and debris from the roadways. We knew that our house was standing, but we had no idea how much damage we were going to face.
With our stomach in a knot, we drove to Biloxi. Lining our street were mountains of soggy furniture, appliances, carpet, and personal belongings.
Luckily, we had a tall crawl space the waterline ringed house just below our top step. There was literally about a 4-inch buffer zone that saved us. Our road was 1.5 miles from the coast to the Back Bay, and we had one of three houses that did not flood. We lost everything in the garage/studio.
My dream of living near the ocean was complete. We put our house on market and moved to higher ground.
Conclusion DO NOT RELY ON EVACUATION ORDERS!
Living in Oakridge has the advantage of putting you in nature’s playground, but that is also its weakness when it comes to fires.
Do not lag because you think your garden hose will save your home. It will not and you will put firefighters at risk to save you.
If you cannot evacuate, go to the nearest wide-open space that you can find. Just from my observations (I am not an expert) the railroad tracks, the Oakridge industrial Park and the Hills Creek Dam are a few open places.
I hope that we will never have to use any of this information, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
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