Person found dead after apparent crash, vehicle fire in Josephine County

One person reportedly died in a crash in rural Josephine County. Investigators said just after 12:00 a.m. on May 5, first responders were dispatched to a vehicle fire in the 300 block of Limpy Creek Road. When emergency personnel arrived at the location, they found an SUV that crashed into a tree and was on fire. One dead occupant was found in the driver’s seat. However, that person has not yet been positively identified. Firefighters said it appeared the vehicle left the road at a high rate of speed before hitting trees and erupting into flames. It also seemed like the fire had been burning for some time, Rural Metro Fire said. The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said more information will be provided when it’s available.
KMVU-TV Fox 26 Medford

Nick Browne takes helm of Clackamas Fire District

In light of Fred Charlton's retirement, Nick Browne began serving as Clackamas Fire's chief starting May 1. Browne joined Clackamas Fire in 2008 and most recently served as division chief of operations, where he oversaw all aspects of emergency response and firefighter safety. Prior to that, he was a lieutenant, captain and battalion chief. Looking to the future, Browne plans to continue creating community partnerships to enhance emergency service delivery within Clackamas County. "We have a great team and I am looking forward to working through the challenges we have in front of us, while continuing to provide first-class fire and emergency services," he said.
Clackamas Review

Update: Alleged arson fire near Salem airport results in $1 million in damage

A man living at a Salem park faces arson and criminal mischief charges after allegedly setting fire to a storage facility near the Salem Municipal Airport Monday resulting in more than $1 million in damages. Salem and Marion County Fire District #1 firefighters responded to a report of a large fire around 6 p.m. at the Airport Self Storage, 2142 Turner Road SE. Aumsville firefighters were also initially dispatched but later recalled. Authorities said the four-alarm fire burned for several hours and destroyed an estimated 25 storage units, though the city's emergency preparedness manager, Greg Walsh, said he would not be surprised if all 100 units in the building were affected by smoke. There were no injuries reported, though the number of people who lost belongings in the fire was not immediately available.
Salem Statesman-Journal - Metered Site

North Portland 4-plex heavily damaged by fire, 5 people displaced

Five people were displaced early Thursday morning after a four-plex in north Portland caught fire, according to Portland Fire & Rescue. Fortunately, no one was injured. PF&R said fire investigators were “sifting through” the aftermath of the fire in the 4700 block of North Willis Boulevard around 12:45 a.m. When crews first arrived at the scene earlier, they found heavy fire coming from multiple units of the four-plex. No injuries were reported in the fire, but five residents of the four-plex were displaced by the fire. PF&R said the American Red Cross is assisting those people. The cause of the fire has not been released.
KPTV FOX 12 Portland

Crews extinguish industrial fire at Springfield business

An industrial fire broke out Wednesday evening at Swanson Group Manufacturing in Springfield. Officials with Eugene-Springfield Fire say it happened just before 6:00 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they found a fire in the fuel hopper for the plant's boiler system. Crews worked with Swanson staff to extinguish the fire. They were able to use a truck with a 100-foot platform to get in the hard to reach areas. There was no measurable damage to the facility or its functionality. According to officials, these fires are typically caused by friction in the system that can create an ember in the organic material.
KEZI-TV ABC 9 Eugene

Crews battle house fire near Scappoose, one person hurt

One person was hurt after a house fire in Scappoose early Wednesday morning. Crews from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Portland Fire & Rescue were called to the fire on Rocky Point Road near Skyline Boulevard at around 3 a.m. Firefighters were able to keep the fire contained primarily to the house and nearby vegetation, while preventing it from spreading to a densely wooded area. According to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, due to the remote location of the house, there were no fire hydrants in the area, requiring water to be shuttled to the scene by water tenders. Crews also had to contend with a downed powerline near the house. One person was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. Unfortunately, the house is a total loss due to excessive fire damage.
KATU-TV ABC 2 Portland

Oregon set to rollout new ‘OR-Alert’ emergency notification system

In an effort to improve communication in counties during serious emergencies, the state is releasing a new system this summer. “OR-Alert” can be activated by local and state emergency officials, to notify residents of a disaster and any evacuation notices quickly. The new system was introduced a month after devastating fires blanketed much of Oregon last September. Following the Almeda Fire, local residents reported not receiving an emergency alert notification from Jackson County. It was later determined that Jackson County chose not to send out a mass county-wide alert, but instead used “citizen-alert” through Everbridge. The alert only went out to a limited number of people with landlines or subscribed to it in advance.
KOBI-TV NBC 5 Medford

Fire managers begin prescribed burns in Klamath and Lake counties

Fire managers began two separate prescribed burns between Klamath and Lake counties on Tuesday, according to the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP). Test firing at the North 2 prescribed burn near Chiloquin began shortly after noon and "went well," SCOFMP said. The project is intended to burn up to 4,000 acres over the course of three to five days, using helicopters to ignite fuels from the air when conditions permit. The North 2 burn is located about seven miles northeast of Chiloquin, near the Two Four Two Fire burn scar. Residents and visitors are told to expect increased aircraft, firefighter equipment on the road, and possible smoke impacts. Forest Road 4502 is closed for the burn, and the public is told to avoid the area. "If anyone is inside the closed area, all aviation resources will be forced to land," SCOFMP said.
KDRV-TV ABC 12 Medford

Bill to help wildfire victims rebuild gets unanimous support from Oregon House

The Oregon House voted unanimously in support of a bill "to create flexibility for property owners trying to rebuild following last year’s devastating wildfires." Lawmakers said House Bill 2289 "will remove barriers in the permitting process, and allow property owners to rebuild with reasonable alterations to the previous structure without needing to go back through the entire permitting process." Thousands of homes were destroyed in fires in the Cascades and southern Oregon amid dry, hot conditions - and unusually strong east winds - around Labor Day 2020. The Holiday Farm Fire impacted communities in the McKenzie River corridor; farther south, residents of the North Umpqua River area faced the Archie Creek Fire east of Roseburg.
KMTR-TV NBC 16 Eugene