Fire Destroys 5th Wheel
Siuslaw Valley fire and Rescue responded to a 991 call of a trailer on fire yesterday morning east of Florence on Highway 125. A person on the scene made the call at approximately 9:17 and reported seeing smoke coming from a 5th wheel. Crews arriving on the scene could see the smoke from a distance and upon reaching the trailer found it fully engulfed in flames. Fire crews had to rely on water tenders due to a lack of hydrants in the area. SVFR was unable to save the trailer but were able to keep it from spreading to a nearby storage building. Western Lane Ambulance also arrived on the scene but there were no injuries reported. The fire is being investigated by the SVFR Fire Investigation Team led by Fire Marshall Tony Miller.
ODOT Says Look For Motorcycles
The Oregon Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to be on the lookout for motorcycles and scooters. ODOT says with warmer weather you can expect to see an increase of two wheeled transportation on the roads and is reminding everyone to actively look for riders to reduce the incidents of a “looked but failed to see” crash. Data from 2019 shows that there were just under 2,500 fatal crashes involving motorcycles and another type of vehicle. Governor Brown has proclaimed May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness month. While many accidents are from drivers not seeing motorcycles, riders are reminded to drive defensively and obey traffic laws and keep a safe distance.
Fire Dangers Ahead
Homeowners are advised to get their home ready for a potentially hot and strong fire season. Getting your home ready for the coming fire season is important no matter where you live. Even if you are inside Florence City limits you need to prep your home for a possible wildfire. Siuslaw Valley Fire Marshall Tony Miller says it’s a good idea to divide your yard into zones. Number one would be within five feet of your home.
“Clean their gutters out. Making sure that they try to eliminate any shrub that are in that zero to five feet away from their house.”
It’s a good idea to sweep up and dispose of dried leaves that have accumulated around the house, under shrubs and even under your deck. The next zone is from five to 30 feet away from your home. Miller says keep that vegetation trimmed and don’t let tall grass accumulate. Anything you do to make your home “fire safe” could mean the difference later in the summer.
Gas Prices
Gas prices had a huge surge this past week with prices in Oregon jumping 16 cents a gallon. Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says Oregon and 48 other states saw massive price increases as crude oil jumped above $110 per barrel. Regular gas in Oregon is averaging $4.85. Florence is averaging $4.55 a gallon. Dodds says increase in demand along with the war in Ukraine is driving prices higher. She also says that this week’s prices are record highs for Oregon.
COVID-19 Numbers
COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen above the 200 mark again as cases continue to be on a surge. The Oregon Health Authority reported 1452 new cases yesterday raising the daily average to 1,281.7. Reports of cases in Florence (last report 1559) continue but without an update from Lane County Public Health the exact numbers are not known.
