Salem-News.com Fire articles Page 36

Fire Strikes Keizer Assisted Living Facility‏

Fire and smoke damage was confined to the laundry room with a small amount of damage to the hall immediately outside of the laundry room.

(KEIZER, Ore.) - Units of the Keizer Fire District responded to a report of a fire alarm sounding at a Keizer assisted living facility shortly after 8:00 PM on Wednesday night, according to Fire District Spokesman Jim Trett.

"When firefighters arrived on the scene they discovered a fire had been burning in the laundry room of the facility."

Trett says the call of an alarm sounding was received at 8:10 PM from the Avamere Court at Keizer Retirement and Rehabilitation facility, located at 5210 River Road NE in Keizer.

Thanksgiving Day Fire in Woodburn Results in No Injuries

Nobody was home at the residence when a passer by called 911 to report the fire.

(WOODBURN, Ore.) - The Woodburn and Aurora Fire Districts were called into action on Thanksgiving Day for a house fire in the 17000 block of Butteville Road.

A spokesman for Woodburn Fire says the initial response at 10:26 AM included three engines, three tenders, a ladder truck and an air support unit.

While responding to the call as a possible fire, dispatch received updated information confirming the house was on fire. Arriving on scene, Woodburn Engine 21 reported a two story farm house with heavy fire showing from the front.

Oregon Roads are Icy!

Frosty conditions mean drivers need to slow down and be extremely careful.

(SALEM, Ore.) - It is that time of year again when our news mailbox begins filling up with news releases from police and fire agencies detailing the most recent icy road related crashes in Oregon. It is staggering to consider how frequently these often tragic accidents, could have been avoided.

Each year in Oregon, far too many people are severely injured and killed from crashes that result from drivers losing control on the ice. We are into that time of year when each morning, sections of streets and highways may be very slick. Depending on where you are, the conditions can last all day. Sometimes the ice melts off and refreezes again when the sun goes down.

Even the most experienced drivers have to direct maximum attention to driving on snow and ice. The most challenging driving conditions result from black ice; invisible on the roadways. Black ice often remains on shaded stretches of roadway when the road seems otherwise safe.

Icy Roads Blamed for Multiple Wrecks in Forest Grove

Fire and police officials in Oregon are asking drivers to slow down and avoid becoming a statistic.

(FOREST GROVE, Ore.) - Firefighters from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue responded to multiple cars wrecks on Wednesday due to icy road conditions, according to Fire Inspector Matt Johnston.

Salem Downtown: Shut Off Your Gas!

Leak causes gas mains to be shut off to Salem Downtown until further notice.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Salem Fire Department responded to a large gas leak at the corner of Cottage and Court Streets at 1:44 PM, where the YMCA is located. Gas mains have been shut off to a large area of the downtown area.

The community needs to shut down their gas appliances and restart them after the gas has been turned back on, which is unknown at this time, according to fire officials.

Weakening Winds Means Good News for Firefighters

Fire officials say threats of new and spreading fires remain.

(SANTA BARBARA) - AccuWeather.com reports good news for firefighters today, as Santa Ana winds weaken and high pressure over the Rockies begins to break down.

However, the winds will not completely subside as gusts up to 35 mph will be possible in the typically prone areas through midday.

These types of winds will still have the possibility of generating new fires and spreading existing fires. Residents should continue to exercise extreme care when dealing with cigarette butts and sparks across Southern California.

Santa Ana Winds Drive California Wildfires Toward Celebrity Homes (VIDEO)

Santa Ana Winds Fuel Raging California Wildfire Threaten Celebrity Homes and Westmont College

(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) - Santa Ana winds that developed on Thursday will continue into Sunday in Southern California. They have fueled a raging wildfire that has destroyed at least 100 homes in a celebrity enclave near Montecito, according to AccuWeather.com.

The winds began on Thursday as high pressure built over the Intermountain West. By Thursday night, the winds known locally as "sundowners" were gusting to as high as 70 mph through the canyons and passes of Southern California.

The winds fed the "Tea Fire" that broke out Thursday evening in the foothills of Montecito, just southeast of Santa Barbara. Associated Press and Fox News Channel report that by this morning, the fast-moving blaze has destroyed as many as 100 luxury homes and parts of a college campus.

Coast Guard Crews Rescue Motorists in Tillamook County Flooding

The Coast Guard joined Tillamook County the Fire Department to rescue 7 people from floods.

(SEATTLE, Ore.) - The Coast Guard reports assisting the Tillamook County, Oregon Fire Department in saving seven people who were stranded after their cars were swept off the road by flooding near Fawcett Creek, Oregon, Wednesday night.

The Coast Guard Group at Astoria received a request for assistance at 9:00 PM from the Tillamook County Fire Department to help rescue a mother and her two infants who were stranded in their car after being swept off of the road by strong flooding.

Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay launched a swift water rescue crew and Coast Guard Air Station Astoria launched an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew.

Time Change is a Good Time for Household and Car Safety Checks

Some businesses gain an hour of alcohol sales when DST ends.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Oregonians will officially move their clocks backward one hour at 2:00 AM Sunday, November 2nd as Daylight Saving Time ends. As a result, some nightclubs, bars, taverns and other licensed premises that stay open until 2:00 AM or 2:30 AM will gain an extra hour of alcohol sales.

According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, some liquor licensees lost a half hour of liquor sales in March when Daylight Saving Time began.

Twice a year, when Daylight Savings Time begins or ends, you should make it a habit to not only change your clocks, but do a few other semi-annual tasks that will improve safety in your home...

Northwest Climate Change is Target of $3.2 Million in Grants to UO

Northwest climate change is target of $3.2 million in grants to UO: NSF, DOE projects by Bart Johnson and Scott Bridgham aim to drive policies to protect people & ecosystems.

(EUGENE. Ore.) - Climate change in the Northwest is the focus of two federal grants totaling $3.2 million awarded to two University of Oregon researchers. They will work together on a pair of multi-site projects designed to help enhance biodiversity while protecting people and property from wildfires in the face of a changing climate.

Scott D. Bridgham, an ecologist in the UO's Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will lead an effort to understand potential threats to prairie ecosystems in Oregon and Washington with a $1.8 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.