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Containment percentage could increase today on Town Gulch Fire
Crews working on the Town Gulch Fire in eastern Baker County are focusing on two areas, with most of the 18,161-acre blaze relatively quiet, a member of the fire management team said Monday morning, Aug. 12. The fire was officially 37% contained, and that percentage could increase later today, Kerry Clark, operations sections chief for the management team, said in a video update posted on the ...
As the smoke clears, ranchers in Eastern Oregon face uncertainty
BAKER CITY, Ore. — In a normal year, the grass is mostly dry in the summer. The mountains look yellow with some spots of green, lots of sagebrush and some short trees bunched together. Standing in her front yard, Amanda Smull points to hills where the lightning hit and...
Evacuations in place for those near Town Gulch Fire in eastern Oregon
OREGON, USA — The Baker County Sheriff's Office has issued Level 3 and 2 evacuations for areas near a fire that started Aug. 5. Containment is at 35% as of Saturday afternoon. The fire, started by lightning, has burned 20,355 acres and has damaged at least two structures. The...
Crews make 'significant progress' on Town Gulch Fire
Fire officials said crews made “significant progress” on the Town Gulch Fire in eastern Baker County on Thursday, Aug. 8, including on the south side of the blaze which is near New Bridge. With relatively light winds, the fire was much less active than on Tuesday, when gusty northwest winds pushed the fire across the West Wall above Pine Valley and helped the fire grow by more than tenfold. ...
Oregon Governor invokes 'Conflagration Act' for the 12th time this year
(The Center Square) - For the 12th time this year, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act to combat wildfires. Kotek invoked the act on August 6, 2024, responding to the Town Gulch Fire in Baker County. The Baker County Fire Defense Board asked for assistance in protecting life and safety, plus structural fire protection. The state fire marshal concurred with the request. “Firefighters on the ground...
Gov. Kotek invokes Conflagration Act for Town Gulch Fire in eastern Oregon
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the Town Gulch Fire in Baker County. This marks the twelfth invocation of Conflagration Act this wildfire season, according to the governor's office. The Town Gulch Fire, located east of Baker City, started on Tuesday, August 8, 2024.
A carrot-eating contest and more at the Baker County Fair
Emma Bain giggled as the crowd chanted "Go, Smoky, go!" And Smoky did — nibbling half a carrot in 45 seconds to claim the title in the carrot-eating competition at the Baker County Fair on Aug. 8. Smoky didn't heed the whistle when time was up — the rabbit just kept working on the baby carrot. "He never eats a whole carrot," Bain said with a grin. Then it was the humans' turn to see who could ...
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