Fire Continues To Grow
Fire Officials are concerned with the growing Sweet Creek Milepost 2 fire as the area has eclipsed 500 acres and continues to expand. Temperatures forecast for the Mapleton area are expected to reach the 90 degree mark today and temperatures accompanied by winds could cause the fire to grow rapidly. As of last night’s update there were no structures that had burned as a result of the fire. Last night at 6pm ODF had set their incident command in place. There are currently level 3 evacuation notices for Hadsell Creek road which means residents have been evacuated. Level 2 evacuation notices are for the Sweet Creek Road Residences which is a be ready alert and last night Lane County Sheriff’s department added Bernhardt and Duncan Island Road residences to a level one evacuation notice to prepare people that may have disabilities or large animals that have to be moved. Lane County Sheriffs Office has also asked people to avoid the area. Staging for the fire is currently at Mapleton Schools and firefighting traffic is crossing Highway 126 just the other side of the Mapleton Bridge. Recreational boating is also closed from the Tiernan boat ramp to the Mapleton Bridge as helicopters are using the Siuslaw River Water to spread on the fires and their presence causes a significant danger to boaters.
Lane County Outbreak
Lane County Public Health is reporting an outbreak of the coronavirus at a long term care facility. 18 of the new 27 cases reported yesterday are related to the Evergreen Memory Care facility in Eugene. there are currently 717 known cases since the testing began in the county. There are currently 38 people considered infectious and 3 hospitalizations. There are no new cases to report for the Florence area. Statewide there are currently 26,713 cases to date with 162 new confirmed cases yesterday. There is one new death to report, that of a 93 year old Washington County man with underlying health conditions. Governor Kate Brown’s county watch list has been reduced to 6 with Hood River and Multnomah counties coming off the list leaving Baker, Jackson, Jefferson, Malheur, Morrow and Umatilla as hot points for their inability to curb community spread of the virus.
Stay Safe Labor Day
The Oregon Health Authority is asking all Oregonians to stay safe during the upcoming Labor Day Weekend. They are asking that large groups or gatherings not come together and to stay home as much as possible, if you must go out, wear face coverings. Here in Florence with good weather conditions being forecast for the weekend, the streets will likely be full with travelers to the coast. Do your best to avoid the influx of visitors and if you work in retail or the service industry remember to practice good hygiene and wear your masks. The current three day Labor Day weekend forecast is for sunshine and temperatures in the 80’s
