Walden noted at his recent news conference that some of the destroyed mobile home parks in the county are situated in newly zoned floodplains. Moreover, given the density of the park layouts, fires can quickly jump from one structure to another, creating an intense blaze that firefighters have little hope of stopping. The Andres, while devastated by the loss of their home, still count themselves among the fortunate. A cracked salt shaker in the form of a Los Angeles Dodgers bear. Housing experts say mobile homes make up a big chunk of the state’s “naturally occurring affordable housing,” meaning they are affordable for those of modest means but unsubsidized by any federal program. That’s because these are communities and people look out for each other.”. “We did everything we could do to stop this thing, and we just couldn’t. An award winning genealogical resource with searchable databases, free Web space, mailing lists, … The district started a crowdfunding campaign asking for nearly $1 million to help pay for a new firehouse and personnel. The mobile home parks were home to some of the area’s most vulnerable residents. With the demand to replace housing and commercial centers lost in the fire, he’s also concerned the region will see a shortage of qualified contractors and price increases in building materials. An additional 35,000 homes are threatened in and around the communities of Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, … The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. All rights reserved (About Us). Fire Information Website Launched to Help Rogue Valley Residents Rebuild Fire Information Website Launched to Help Rogue Valley Residents Rebuild. On the morning of Sept. 8, a brush fire lurched to life in a dry brush field north of Ashland along Almeda Drive in southwest Oregon. And for now, the loss simply exacerbates an existing affordable housing crisis. Among the most destructive wildfires burning across Oregon is in the Rogue Valley near the California border. Or if they can be built at all. They salvaged what they could. The Almeda Fire stopped south of Medford, a city of 82,000 residents, when the winds eventually shifted. Those communities were already disproportionately affected by COVID-19, have distrust and anxiety when it comes to government and may not feel comfortable in emergency housing. Phoenix, Oregon, before and after the Almeda Drive Fire. The agency provides housing vouchers to qualified individuals, but the success rate of individuals looking to use them has steadily declined in recent years. By dawn on Wednesday, the fire, also known as the Alameda Fire, had reached the outskirts of Medford, according to residents of the city who asked for prayers on social media accounts. “It’s very tragic. The burned out hulk of Luke Andre's 1967 Mustang, destroyed in the Almeda fire along with his mobile home. The Almeda fire was not a wildfire, per se. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 41-year-old transient was arrested on arson and drug charges after a fire was set during the Almeda Fire that destroyed much of the southern Oregon town of Phoenix. Jackson County Fire District 5 Chief Charles Hanley was on a conference call with Oregon’s fire marshal to discuss resource availability. FEMA Region 10 Administrator Mike O’Hare determined that the fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. The state was already battling more than 10 other major incidents, exhausting state resources. Subscribe today for news you need now. And there was no sign of their cat, DC, presumed dead in the fire. The fire, also referred to as the Glendower Fire, started burning north of Ashland on Tuesday around 11 a.m. The gaps in … They are staying with family in Central Point. They’re key to our schools. In Oregon, officials have opened an arson investigation into the Alameda Fire, which is responsible for multiple deaths and has destroyed hundreds of homes. It’s a very productive part of our community.”. Jackson County originally said some 2,700 structures were destroyed in the Almeda fire that broke out just North of Ashland then roared through the cities of Talent and Phoenix and into the outskirts of Medford. In Oregon, a fire that burned from the Ashland area entered the city of Medford, population around 85,000, officials said. “We’re hoping at the end of the day we’ll be able to rely on FEMA for a substantive amount for actual structures, but we’re not holding our breath for that.”. The supply and demand problem exacerbated by the fire will affect everyone in the region, Enzy said, with rental and purchase prices rising across the board. Puck’s Donuts – Photo by Luis Alfaro. It burned more than 3,200 acres and destroyed 3,000 structures, including one of Fire District 5’s three firehouses. “We still haven’t put the pieces together yet as far as what federal money will be available,” LeBombard said. But we don’t really know. Sawyer Paddles and Oars, a household name to the paddlesports community, has been based in Talent, Oregon, for over 33 years. In the wake of these unprecedented fires, many fundraisers have been created to help those affected. Many pets have been lost and injured in the devastating wildfires here in Jackson County. The evacuation center has about 200 people, so not a whole lot of people are there.”. The Glendower Fire started north of Ashland, Oregon Tuesday morning then … Authorities are warning residents against salvaging belongings from their homes. Tuesday, October 13, 2020 1779. The Almeda Fire left a trail of devastation behind in Southern Oregon. ALAMEDA FIRE … ... Oregon Office of Emergency Management It was burning through multiple downtown areas,” Ulrich said. Wednesday, September 16, 2020 2530. The start of the fire – Alameda Street in Ashland, Oregon. When the Almeda Drive Fire burned through communities in Talent and Phoenix, Oregon, many wondered why there wasn’t more emergency evacuation information. The blaze shifted from a brush fire to an urban fire or, as Hanley describes it, “where the leaves meet the eaves.”. And in mere hours, the wildfire consumed a huge … Elected officials and other local leaders are still trying to grasp the extent of the damage and address emergency needs – priorities that distract from beginning a more comprehensive rebuilding strategy. But in reality, the fire consumed structures of every kind. Almeda Fire: A plane flies over a house in Talent, Oregon and drops fire retardant. Browse 1 Homes for Sale and Real Estate in Beaumont-wilshire - Alameda subdivision, Oregon BOTHELL, Wash. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Almeda Glendower Fire burning in Jackson County, Oregon. However, some of the fires, including the August Complex Fire, were caused by lightning strikes in extremely dry areas. On Friday, Sept 18, under police escort, they returned to the 1960s era single-wide they bought in 2007 for $10,500. In Oregon last month, extreme weather was not the only factor firefighters faced. Preliminary numbers on the Almeda Fire suggest that it burned upwards of 3,000 acres and destroyed 600 homes — displacing thousands. Carpenter, the advocate for mobile home park owners, says it’s unfair to call the mobile home parks fire traps. Fighting fires in Oregon is unlike any scene I've ever encountered, Oregon residents devastated by historic blazes, Northern California faces days of ‘critical’ fire risk, Forced from Paradise: Life after one of California's deadliest wildfires. Donate to Oregon Fires and Help Those in Need. Not enough to make them whole, but it will help. Senior citizens. Those loans don’t go away if a home burns down. Authorities estimate some 3,000 residents were displaced. Carpenter says many residents were originally able to get into their homes for as little as $5,000. “He was my mom’s cat and when she passed in 2012, we adopted him,” Luke said. "Basically, it looks like Phoenix and Talent are pretty well devastated," Medford Mayor Gary Wheeler told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Before anything can be built, there will need to be a massive cleanup. Now that trend will be reinforced by high demand from communities up and down the West Coast looking to rebuild after fires. Many older structures are insured for nowhere near their replacement value. Alameda Fire Resources: Contact Us: Current Residents: Family Self-Sufficiency: Find Housing: Home Repair Program: Housing Choice Voucher: Maintenance Request Form: Working With Us: Frequently Asked Questions: 2251 Table Rock Road Medford, OR 97501 Phone: 541-779-5785 Fax: 541-857-1118 Hours: Temporarily closed to the public. “We’ve always been told this is a high-risk area, but we don’t have the ability to meet the need if something like this happens again.”. He was one of about 50 firefighters who fought the blaze that day, Hanley said. The Almeda Fire, also referred to as the Glendower Fire, began burning on Tuesday north of Ashland. Already, building material costs had been on the rise during the pandemic. But the damage was overwhelming in Jackson County. “We’re dealing with a very fragile population,” said Chuck Carpenter, executive director of Manufactured Housing Communities of Oregon, an advocacy group for mobile home park owners. Hundreds of homes and businesses across Talent and Pheonix were destroyed and much of the area remains under a … When the wind-driven Almeda fire ripped up the Highway 99 corridor on Sept 8, Luke and Nichole Andre were at their jobs in Ashland and unable to return to their mobile home on the outskirts of Phoenix. Another wildfire is threatening southern Oregon. “Look at the debris in the aftermath,” he said. A second fire in the Medford, Oregon … Officials have also expressed concern that financially vulnerable residents who do have insurance may be pressed to take early offers without seeing the full settlement evaluation and getting comparable value information. Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Southern Oregon, said last week that she’s eager to see FEMA on the ground. Even before the fire, Jackson County was dealing with an acute shortage of affordable housing. "They were the refuge of a lot of people who don’t have a lot of money, she said. "Nothing withstood this, he said. Mobile homes are often set up on piers, where air and fire can move below the structure, igniting any material stored beneath and penetrating through the floor. Capt. Moments later, Hanley received notification about a new fire in Ashland. Puck’s Donuts – Photo by Luis Alfaro. High temperatures and strong winds continue to create disastrous fire conditions across Oregon. Almeda Fire: A plane flies over a house in Talent, Oregon and drops fire retardant. “Where that thing was burning was asphalt, driveways, homes, fire hydrants. They were fortunate that their manufacturing facility was spared, but their local community has seen grave destruction from last week's wildfires. The fire started on Tuesday and had burned approximately 600 homes and more than 3,000 acres of private land at the time of the state’s request. “It was home. Phoenix Oregon – La Clinica and fire devastation. Hundreds of homes and businesses across Talent and Pheonix were destroyed and much of the area remains under a … Thin walls and ceilings mean the fire can move rapidly through the interior. The Oregon Department of Forestry estimated the Almeda Fire has burned 2,500 to 3,000 acres. Tuesday, October 13, 2020 1779. The smoke and debris is producing the same eerie red skies as seen in San Francisco. Though many mobile homes are clad in metal or concrete siding, he says they often have wooden windows, wooden decks, wooden fencing, and wooden skirting that can easily ignite. Burger King – Photo by Luis Alfaro. Interactive real-time wildfire and forest fire map for Oregon. Remains of Talent – Alameda Fire. The icons represent heat detected on the Glendower Fire by satellites at 3:08 p.m. PDT September 8, 2020. Carpenter says landlords are required to maintain business insurance, but as far as the residents go, “that’s always been a controversy.”, “We’ve always felt residents should be required to have homeowner’s insurance,” he said. It’s not required under statute, and a high percentage of these folks probably didn’t have it.”. “Some communities have agreements that require it, but a lot of these folks say they can’t afford it. “This was structure fire, after structure fire, after structure fire, over and over and over.”, [Oregon residents devastated by historic blazes]. [Fighting fires in Oregon is unlike any scene I've ever encountered]. But it’s clear that recovering from this natural disaster will take years, and these Southern Oregon communities may never be the same. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Accurate. Anecdotally, she’s heard the Latinx population has evacuated to White City, Eagle Point and other nearby towns where they have extended family. They still have their jobs -- Luke at a fulfillment warehouse in Ashland and Nichole as a record keeper at the hospital. A ceramic lady bug. As the fire pushed north, Ulrich was stationed along Talent Avenue, using the street as a fire break and trying to keep the flames from consuming the west side of town. Jackson County firefighter Curt Ulrich was on the second day of his 48-hour shift when he was dispatched to Ashland. There was nothing we could do,” he said. “We can’t afford to lose personnel,” Bustard said. ALAMEDA FIRE RESOURCES FOR HAJC RESIDENTS. “All we had was the clothes on our backs and what I had in my purse,” Nichole Andre said. “I hope people have landed with family and friends and are in a stable situation. By the end of the day, he added, there’s a two-year wait list to get in. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, drove the point home during a recent news conference, noting that just 400 housing units were built in Jackson County altogether in 2018. Latino families who work at local businesses and farms and attend local schools. Sept. 11, 2020 Tags: Science & Environment , Technology , … “It’s a human disaster associated with a natural disturbance.”. There is also a maximum $35,500 benefit for “other needs assistance,” including things like medical expenses, vehicle and clothing replacement, computers, schoolbooks or supplies. Talent Oregon – Pet bowls for strays. Kate Brown earlier this week approved an emergency conflagration declaration for the Alameda Fire, clearing the way for the State Fire Marshal to … We are available by phn/fax/email. A plane drops fly retardant over a neighborhood in Talent during the Alameda fire. A pile of ash and twisted metal. Essential. But they had insurance. Map of the Almeda Drive and South Obenchain Fires at 4:14 a.m. PDT Sept 9, 2020. “It was like having a piece of her still with us.”. Phoenix Oregon – La Clinica and fire devastation. As of … Oregon wildfires, namely the Almeda Fire, have claimed two lives. She said local elected leaders must work to keep people connected to the community as they rebuild. Employees of businesses in Ashland who, like the Andres, can’t afford to live there but make it work in low-cost manufactured houses to start building equity. A color infrared satellite image shows a closeup view of Northridge Terrace in Medford, Ore., after the Alameda Fire, Sept. 9, 2020. Fire officials confirmed on Thursday that there are now two deaths connected to the Almeda Drive Fire, though no further information about the circumstances of those deaths has been released. Glendower Fire (aka Almeda Fire) burns toward Medford, Oregon. He drove a water tender, a firetruck with a 2,000-gallon tank of water, to help suppression efforts in neighborhoods where fire hydrants were running dry. Hundreds of thousands of acres have been scorched and thousands have fled their homes. Others in Oregon and California were started by downed power lines. Josh LeBombard, Southern Oregon Regional Representative for the Department of Land Conservation and Development, says he’s working to create interim housing that bridges the gap between emergency shelters and when more permanent structures will be built. Enzy said when his agency opens a wait list for its newly constructed 50- and 60-unit apartment buildings, they’re generally filled within two hours. In the short term, the Jackson County Expo in Medford functions as the primary evacuation site for services and nighttime shelter, along with local hotels. Her district encompasses Talent and Phoenix, and because mobile home parks make up such an important part of the region’s housing – the county has 104 -- she has been active in policy debates at the legislature. Winds carried embers hundreds of feet ahead of the fire line, starting spot fires and overwhelming suppression efforts. The fact that no one died is remarkable. Here are some resources that might help you to be reunited with your lost pet. That makes the land beneath them more vulnerable to redevelopment. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). And in mere hours, the wildfire consumed a big chunk of the supply in the Rogue Valley, exacerbating the problem. Jason Enzy, the agency’s executive director, says occupancy rates have exceeded 98% for the last decade. Little remained. Historically there’s been a stigma with manufactured homes, but she says that’s not the case in the Rogue Valley. It didn’t start in the woods or the so-called wildland urban interface, where policy makers have focused much of their forestry and defensible space work. “The immediate response is that people have dispersed,” said Marsh, the local state representative whose district encompasses the area burned by the Almeda fire. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. “We had an affordable housing crisis before this and now we have a lot more people who are living on the street or in temporary conditions.”. There’s just no stopping it.”. Aaron Bustard was on the initial attack. Pad rentals range from $350 to $650, making them affordable for low- income residents and seniors on fixed incomes. And while many parks require that owners show proof of insurance annually, that’s not always the case. On the morning of Sept. 8, a brush fire lurched to life in a dry brush field north of Ashland along Almeda Drive in southwest Oregon. Burger King – Photo by Luis Alfaro. Many Oregon families may have lost all vital documents due to the deadly wildfires burning across the … image caption A colour infrared satellite image shows destroyed homes after the Alameda Fire in Phoenix, Oregon: burned vegetation and property appear grey, surviving vegetation is in red. A plane drops fly retardant over a neighborhood in Talent during the Alameda fire. Destructive wildfire exposes state’s need for more firefighting resources. Fires are burning in seven Oregon counties, and the Almeda Drive Fire in southern Oregon prompted evacuation orders in much of Medford, a city of about 80,000 residents. “You think about trying to rebuild,” he said. In early September, unusually high winds and continued dry weather caused the rapid expansion of multiple wildfires in Oregon. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 41-year-old transient was arrested on arson and drug charges after a fire was set during the Almeda Fire that destroyed much of the southern Oregon town of Phoenix. Lost and Found Animals Lost and Found Animals . Even if those units were readily available, the word mobile is also something of a misnomer, as they can’t really be moved. The Oregon Department of Forestry declared fire season beginning on July 5, 2020, signaling the end of unregulated debris burning outdoors, a major cause of wildfires. Fire experts say there are reasons why the destruction was so thorough in mobile home parks that hold lessons as residents look to rebuild. This fire is now more than 121,379 acres and 10% contained as of September 13, having started September 8 about 20 miles east of Glide, Oregon. Rogue Valley’s elected leaders and planners are beginning to talk about how to rebuild and retain the residents who lost their homes. A brand new pan that had been sitting in the kitchen sink. They signed up for FEMA relief and picked up free food, clothing, towels and toiletries at the Expo relief center. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides a maximum household benefit of $35,000, which can go to cover repairs, temporary housing and replacing household appliances and goods. Buying a new single wide trailer might cost $25,000, he said, with a double-wide around $40,000 to $50,000. In Clackamas County, Oregon… And if anything was left standing it was by the grace of god. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Approval of the state of Oregon’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was made at 1:40 p.m. PT on Wednesday. Their home was one of more than 2,300 residences destroyed when the Almeda Fire swept through the towns of Talent and Phoenix in southern Oregon. The Housing Authority of Jackson County operates 1,500 units of affordable housing. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. The latest official estimate of the number of structures destroyed in the Almeda Drive Fire in southern Oregon on September 8 is 600 homes and 100 commercial buildings. Consequently, they often buy through so-called “chattel loans,” a personal property loan that can bear predatory interest rates. They work in local businesses. Another complicating factor: It’s unclear whether parks created decades ago can be rebuilt with the same density under new zoning and building codes. When I knew there was no help coming,” Bustard said. ", “Phoenix and Talent want those people back,” she said. The … Another major fire in southern Oregon prompted evacuation orders in much of Medford, a city of about 80,000 residents near the California border. And replacing the older stock with comparably priced units will be impossible. In early September, both California and Oregon were in a state of drawdown, meaning they had no additional resources to dispatch. PHOENIX, Ore. — A man is in custody, charged with two counts of arson and numerous other charges after allegedly starting a fire in Phoenix the night the Almeda Fire was raging.. The state hasn’t lost one to a fire in more than two decades. “We can see that once a mobile home starts burning and it’s upwind, the whole thing is going to get taken out.”. “While they were grandfathered before,” he explained, “there is some discussion that many of those units will not be able to be replaced now that they have been destroyed.”. Gov. Fire Information Website Launched to Help Rogue Valley Residents Rebuild. “We were informed that there would be no resources available to us should we have a major event,” he said. “You go through your life around your house and your family and neighbors, and now it’s all just gone...We have a lot of different resources at the moment, but after a few months, I don’t know how it’s all going to work out.”, -- Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-221—8505; @tedsickinger. The National Weather Service had called for a red-flag wind warning, predicting gusts upward of 50 mph, which was bad news for Oregon fire officials. 65 were here. Standard face masks don’t filter out fine airborne ash, dust and asbestos fibers. “Now we’re looking at a loss of 2,700 housing units in one fell swoop.”. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Immediate. The Almeda Drive Fire in southern Oregon has displaced hundreds of residents. Talent Oregon – Burnt refrigerator with food . Remains of Talent – Alameda Fire. Jackson County Fire District 5 relies on property taxes for their budget, which were affected by the fire’s destruction. The Almeda Fire quickly roared to life. [This is what fuels the West's wildfires], [Northern California faces days of ‘critical’ fire risk], [Forced from Paradise: Life after one of California's deadliest wildfires]. The Alameda fire started late on Tuesday morning in Ashland, a city of around 21,000 residents in southern Oregon, near the border with California. They were running out of resources. Two … Melted Car – Talent – Alameda Fire. We will update this page as more information becomes available. They own some of the small businesses. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/10/20/oregon-almeda-fire The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said that deputies responded to the 1100-block of Quail Lane just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday night, to an area off Barnum drive between Highway 99 and the railroad tracks. The burned-out hulk of their 1967 Mustang that was parked in their carport. While there, they sat beside a couple with six kids who had no idea where to go. As of late Tuesday, the fire was at zero percent containment, according to … “That will make things even worse,” he said. In Oregon, a fire that burned from the Ashland area entered the city of Medford, population around 85,000, officials said. Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Misty Pantle takes everything in on her first visit to the burned remnants of the home she shared with her children and her sister, Tammy Johnson, in Talent, Ore., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. “It’s overlapping, a continuous line all the way from one end to another,” Cohen said. Jack Cohen, a researcher at the U.S. Forest Servicer’s Missoula Fire Science Laboratory, says that while the result was tragic, it’s no surprise mobile homes burned with such intensity. Looking at pictures of the destruction in Phoenix and Talent, he sees an urban conflagration where fine fuels driven by the wind touched down in one community after another, igniting one structure and then chewing through everything downwind. As we work our way through the devastation and prepare to help residents, please see the resource links below. Thirty-foot-tall flames lay on their side, pushed by powerful winds, destroying entire neighborhoods. The Almeda Fire left a trail of devastation behind in Southern Oregon. While some own their land, those in parks were renting their space from the park owner. The Almeda fire is one of more than 2,000 wildfires that have burned through the western United States in the past weeks, forcing tens of thousands of people to … Carpenter says most mobile home parks were built 40 to 50 years ago, and due to the stigma traditionally attached to them, many were built on industrial land at the outskirts of towns and cities that have since grown exponentially and absorbed them. Strong winds from the east pushed the fire north along a bike path parallel to Interstate 5, burning power poles, blackberry vines and eventually homes. Federal disaster benefits will be available for those who lost property and are uninsured or underinsured. JACKSON COUNTY, OR (KPTV) - Law enforcement has launched a criminal investigation into the start of a wildfire in southern Oregon near the communities of Talent, Phoenix, and Medford. “It was nice,” Luke Andre said of their trailer. Running the waterways of the great State Of Jefferson since 1974. Bustard joined Ulrich on Talent Avenue trying to hold the fire line before the engine of his tender caught fire. It now estimates that 2,357 residential structures were lost, and that three quarters -- an estimated 1,748 units -- were manufactured homes in a dozen mobile home parks that line Oregon 99 and Interstate 5. He says it’s still unclear whether FEMA will provide trailers, recreational vehicles or other housing units for transitional housing, or whether the assistance will only be monetary. The fire Bakkella set is considered to be one of the two fires that caused the destructive Almeda Fire, according to Rich Tyler, spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office. “Probably around midnight, that’s when I felt most defeated. But Luke’s wallet, left behind as he rushed out the door on the day of the fire, was incinerated. “There’s no way we can call this a natural disaster,” Cohen said. In the meantime, he’s taking an inventory of available land with a priority for those in or near the communities of Talent and Phoenix with access to schools, transportation and other services. Almost one-third are severely rent burdened, meaning rent takes more than 50% of their income – rates that are among the highest in the state. https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000007341513/oregon-fires-path.html In Clackamas County, Oregon… As the Almeda Fire swept through the Oregon towns of Talent and Phoenix this week, residents evacuated to an emergency shelter at the Jackson … See current wildfires and wildfire perimeters in Oregon on the Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center Wildfire Map. RootsWeb - the Internet's oldest and largest FREE genealogical community. And the Almeda fire wasn’t choosy, he says, burning structures of all kinds.
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