Oregon Beach News, Friday 8/13 – Chinook Winds Casino Resort Closes Temporarily Because of Covid, Red Flag and Beach Warnings Along Oregon Coast

The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com

Friday, August 13, 2021

Oregon Beach Weather

Today– Widespread haze after 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday– Widespread haze between 9am and 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming west northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon

Sunday– Partly sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming west 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.

Monday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

Tuesday– Sunny, with a high near 67. Breezy.

Chinook Winds Casino Resort Closes Temporarily Because of Covid

Chinook Winds Casino Resort will close for at least two weeks because of COVID-19, the casino said Thursday. 

Guests will have to leave the casino, hotel and golf course by 6 p.m. August 12. The Siletz Tribal Council, which oversees the casino’s operations, said they hope to reopen by Aug. 26. 

“Despite the progress we have made to vaccinate our team, their families, and the community, increases in cases in the county and state have led us to make the difficult decision,” General Manager Michael S. Fisher said in a news release. 

The casino hasn’t said whether the closure is because of positive tests among staff. It’s also unclear whether guests who are currently staying at the hotel will be given alternate accommodations at other hotels along the coast. 

Mask Mandates Start Today

Oregon’s new mask mandate takes effect today.  All residents will be required to wear a mask in public indoor settings regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.  

Governor Kate Brown issued the mandate earlier this week due to rising case numbers being caused by the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19.  

Health officials say the Delta variant is causing COVID-19 cases to rise to their highest level so far during the pandemic, and masks are the fastest way to reduce the trend.

National Weather Service Issues Red Flag and Beach Warnings Along Oregon Coast

A red flag warning is in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Friday for the entire Oregon Coast Range as well as the Cascade Foothills and the Willamette National Forest. The NWS said there are significantly unstable conditions that could spark fires or greatly enhance one that has started in those regions – which includes forestlands just outside of Tillamook, Lincoln City, Yachats, Florence, Manzanita and Cannon Beach.

“Conditions may be favorable for rapid spread on any new or existing fires. Extreme fire behavior is possible under potential plume dominated behavior,” the NWS said.

There are also Air Quality Alerts

The NWS also issued a special weather statement for the Oregon coast, saying beachgoers should be beware of cold ocean water and other beach hazards.

The warnings come as many will seek refuge from the massive heatwave along the Oregon coast, and the NWS told Oregon Coast Beach Connection that “something always seems to happen” when these kinds of visitor numbers are seen.

“Some are not familiar with Oregon`s normal beach hazards, including but not limited to rip currents, sneaker waves and cold water temperatures,” the NWS said. “High beach visitation rates occurred during the June heatwave, and resulted in increased rescue rates and deaths.”

Temperatures along all 360 miles of Oregon coastline are between 50 and 60 degrees about now, the NWS said. This will impact the body much more severely than changes in air temperatures, which can lead to loss of breathing control, heart and blood pressure problems, and a high risk of suddenly drowning.

Campfire Restrictions In Place Across Oregon

Campfires are banned in public campgrounds and day-use areas across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, as wildfire danger persists amid sweltering heat waves and the persistent drought.

Bans include restrictions on all cooking fires, campfires and bonfires on the beach, leaving portable cooking stoves and gas-powered lanterns as the only open flames allowed in much of the state’s public lands. In some places, bans extend to vehicle use, target shooting and other activities that could cause a spark.

Navigating those restrictions can be tricky, with so many different land management agencies in charge of the various parks and campgrounds in Oregon. Before you head out for a weekend getaway, be sure to look at which agency is in charge of where you’re going, and check the current fire restrictions below.

For folks headed outdoors, Oregon’s wildfire season requires extra planning and precautions, in general. Follow these tips for monitoring the fire conditions in Oregon as you plan your summer travels.

OREGON STATE PARKS

Campfires, cooking fires and other open flames are banned at all Oregon state parks east of Interstate 5, including parks in the Columbia River Gorge and southwest Oregon. The same restrictions apply to Champoeg and Willamette Mission state parks, as well as the Willamette River Greenway.

As of Friday, Aug. 13, campfires will also be banned on the Oregon coast from Lincoln County south to the California border. See details at stateparks.oregon.gov.

MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST

All open fires, including campfires, are banned across the national forest. Read the full forest order.

WILLAMETTE NATIONAL FOREST

All open fires, including campfires, are banned across the national forest. Read the full forest order.

DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST

All open fires, including campfires, are banned across the national forest. Read the full forest order.

OTHER NATIONAL FORESTS

Fire restrictions vary between national forests in Oregon. In the Siuslaw National Forest, for example, campfires are allowed in designated fire rings and at specific dispersed campsites. Meanwhile, all campfires are banned in the Umpqua National Forest.

Check in with the national forest you’ll be visiting for specifics on the local fire restrictions.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Campfire restrictions vary between each district. Campfires are banned in many regions, but are allowed in others. Some campgrounds are given specific exemptions from restrictions. Check in with the local district office for the latest information. See all district fire restrictions at blm.gov/orwafire.

TILLAMOOK STATE FOREST

Campfires and motor vehicle use have been banned on the eastern side of the Tillamook State Forest, as well as in some state forest lands in Yamhill and Columbia counties. See the latest fire restrictions at Oregon.gov/odf.

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

Campfires and cooking fires are banned at Crater Lake National Park. See the full order at nps.gov/crla.

LOCAL PARKS

County and city-run parks may have fire restrictions of their own. Be sure to check in with the park or local authorities before you head out.

Two New Large Fires Near Lakeview

Thunderstorms & lightning resulted in 2 large fires in South Central Oregon – Patton Meadow Fire & Willow Valley Fire. Patton Meadow Fire is west of Lakeview – reported at 3:30 p.m. & estimated to be more than 2,000 acres.

Evacuation Levels are in place – Level 3 is Juniper RV Park to Patton Meadow & all of Drews Gap; Level 2 is North of Hwy 140 from Juniper RV Part to Lower Cottonwood; Level 1 is East of Lower Cottonwood Road & Cottonwood Creek. Red Cross contacted to establish an evacuation center.

Willow Valley Fire is on the Oregon-California Stateline, approximately 16 miles southeast of Bonanza & 1 mile east of Willow Valley Reservoir – reported at 4 p.m. & estimated to be 300 acres. No evacuation levels.

Thunderstorms this evening have impacted wildland firefighting efforts. There is a Red Flag Warning in effect tomorrow (Friday) from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.

As of Thursday afternoon, there are 29 large uncontained fires and complexes in the Pacific Northwest — 12 in Oregon and 17 in Washington. This translates to 840,254 acres of active uncontained fires.

Here are links to be able to see updated info on the larger fires in Oregon:

Oregon reports 2,387 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths 

There are nine new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,928, the Oregon Health Authority reported 2,387 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, which is a record number of cases and brings the state total to 236,698. 

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (6), Benton (21), Clackamas (198), Clatsop (35), Columbia (62), Coos (55), Crook (10), Curry (25), Deschutes (108), Douglas (137), Harney (3), Hood River (11), Jackson (416), Jefferson (20), Josephine (133), Klamath (15), Lake (1), Lane (210), Lincoln (31), Linn (32), Malheur (5), Marion (148), Morrow (14), Multnomah (210), Polk (42), Tillamook (27), Umatilla (121), Union (22), Wallowa (7), Wasco (25), Washington (189) and Yamhill (48).

UPS Driver Rescues Couple From House Fire In Scottsburg

A United Parcel Service worker rescued a retired couple after their home caught fire in Scottsburg.

Pat and Shelly Ryan, who have lived in Scottsburg for nearly 15 years, had been using their home as a bed and breakfast in the summer. Last Thursday, their house went up in flames, destroying all the rooms, everything inside, their boat and their garage.

When the smoke was billowing, UPS driver Jed Massey happened to be making his usual route and he jumped into action making sure the couple got out.

The couple says they recall hearing several strong explosions until the whole house was engulfed in flames. But without a second to spare, they were able to get to safety.

A neighbor helped get the Ryans’ dogs, Blackjack and Casino, to safety as well. The couple recalls the scary situation as one that “could’ve been a lot worse.” The Ryans said although they’re devastated that “45 years of accumulation” is destroyed, they’re just happy they and their dogs are alive.

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