4 September 2015
3 AM Blaze destroys mobile home, threatens motel
One person is reported dead in an early morning fire one mile south of Florence. Siuslaw Valley Fire Chief Jim Langborg said firefighters responded about three AM to a mobile home, immediately south of the Ocean Breeze Motel on Highway 101. It was completely engulfed in flames.
Jim Langborg: “The fire conditions were heavy and fire personnel were only able to perform a defensive attack which means everything had to be done from the outside. We did get reports that there was a male inside the building. We have not confirmed identity.”
Fire crews were able to prevent damage to the motel and other buildings on the property, including an abandoned gas station.
The Lane County Sheriff’s and Oregon State Fire Marshall’s offices are assisting in the investigation of the fire cause. Langborg said he had no reason to believe it was suspicious, but they would investigate.
Rainfall could bring complacency
Fire officials in the state are concerned about the rain that has fallen over much of Western Oregon in recent days. They’re not actually worried about the rain; just the perception that it may have created.
Tom Fields says now is not the time to let your guard down. The Fire Prevention Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Forestry said the rain brought “welcome relief”, but added the current fire season is far from being “put to bed”.
The rainfall came mostly along the Oregon Coast and in the Willamette Valley with the northern Cascades getting about an inch of rain. But the rest of Oregon remains extremely dry.
Campfires are still prohibited in all Oregon State Parks campgrounds; as well as on private lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Still more questions than answers
Florence police have learned some things about a man who was found dead in a wooded area just north of Sandpines earlier this week; but they still have plenty of questions. One of them remains, just who was he?
Lieutenant John Pitcher said the man was a white or Hispanic adult male, between 20 and 40 years old. He was 5’6” to 5’10” with dark brown or black hair that was about an inch-and-a-half long.
We was wearing jeans, a black t-shirt with the words “total recall” on it and a gray hooded sweatshirt along with black, gray and white Nikes.
A red St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap was found near the body. Pitcher said they believe the hat was recently purchased at a donation or thrift store. The man had two distinctive tattoos: one on the left forearm; the other on his upper back between the shoulder blades. Pitcher did not describe them any further.
It is still believed the man’s death was the result of suicide, but the circumstances are still under investigation.
Anyone with information on the case should call the Florence Police Department.
Preparation for the “worst day” could help deal with storms
For the 12th straight year, September has been declared “national preparedness month” in Oregon. Governor Kate Brown made the announcement earlier this week, directing the state’s Office of Emergency Management to make it a “top priority” to reach out and educate residents about the importance of being prepared for emergencies.
OEM director Andrew Phelps said by focusing on preparedness this month, it could help save lives and property on – quote – “our worst day”.
That so-called “worst day” he referred to would be when a 9-point-oh earthquake along the Cascadia Fault off the Oregon Coast might strike. Officials say by preparing for the “big one”, they are also better prepared to handle the smaller, and more likely, emergencies… things like a winter storm.
Lane County Sheriff says he’s committed to the job
He grew up professionally in the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. Byron Trapp began his law enforcement career as a Corrections Officer at the jail in 1988. Two years later, he was a patrol deputy and from there, he worked his way up until he reached the apex: his appointment to replace his former boss as Lane County Sheriff May 1st.
Byron Trapp: “This agency is my home. I am absolutely committed to the health and the survivability of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.”
Trapp says he understands the financial challenges that he’ll face as sheriff, but he said he also understands how to do that. He was in Florence yesterday where he appeared on Coast Radio’s Our Town… the show will replay Thursday and Sunday mornings at ten AM on KCFM.
