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FILE - In this July 11, 2014 photo, a member of an
inmate firefighting crew works on the Bully fire
near Ono, Calif. A 27-year-old man who was allegedly
at an illegal marijuana plot is suspected of
starting a wildfire that has burned about 6 square
miles of forested land in northern California.
Freddie Alexander Smoke III was arrested Saturday,
July 12, 2014 and accused of recklessly causing a
fire and with marijuana cultivation, both felonies,
according to the California Department of Fire and
Forestry Protection. The so-called Bully fire has
since grown to 3,700 acres and destroyed six
structures, CalFire officials said. The blaze, which
is burning in steep terrain, was just 10 percent
contained Sunday morning. (AP Photo/The Record
Searchlight, Greg Barnette)
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In this photo provided by South Central Oregon Fire
Management Partnership, smoke from a fire is seen
Sunday, July 13, 2014, near Moccasin Hill, Ore.
Officials say a fast-growing wildfire in southern
Oregon has destroyed homes and forced dozens of
evacuations. (AP Photo/South Central Oregon Fire
Management Partnership)
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FILE - In this July 11, 2014 photo, a member of an
inmate firefighting crew works on the Bully fire
near Ono, Calif. A 27-year-old man who was allegedly
at an illegal marijuana plot is suspected of
starting a wildfire that has burned about 6 square
miles of forested land in northern California.
Freddie Alexander Smoke III was arrested Saturday,
July 12, 2014 and accused of recklessly causing a
fire and with marijuana cultivation, both felonies,
according to the California Department of Fire and
Forestry Protection. The so-called Bully fire has
since grown to 3,700 acres and destroyed six
structures, CalFire officials said. The blaze, which
is burning in steep terrain, was just 10 percent
contained Sunday morning. (AP Photo/The Record
Searchlight, Greg Barnette)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Southern Oregon wildfire
destroyed six homes and 14 other buildings, and
dozens of additional blazes ignited after thousands
of lightning strikes lashed the state.
The destructive Moccasin Hill fire — named for a
longstanding subdivision — began Sunday near the
ranching town of Sprague River, about 25 miles
northeast of Klamath Falls, fire spokeswoman Erica
Hupp said Monday. Many residents keep horses and
cattle on plots of 3 to 5 acres, and neighbors have
been stepping in to shelter both stock and pets, she
said.
The blaze encompasses 4 ½ square miles, fire
officials said, and caused more than 100 people to
evacuate before the threat subsided and many
returned home.
Another fire spokeswoman, Tina O'Donnell, said 231
structures remained threatened Monday and one minor
injury was reported. She did not know if the injury
was suffered by a resident or a firefighter.
Walter "Butch" Browning, who operates a general
store in Sprague River, said the flames reached the
driveway at his home Sunday afternoon, forcing his
wife to "get out of there" with a computer, a change
of clothes, medications and the dogs. The wind
changed direction, he said, sparing his place. He
slept in his own bed, confident there were enough
firefighters between his house and the blaze that
has left burning stumps.
Wildfires are an annual concern for the community,
Browning said. He has been evacuated at least four
times in his 22 years on the property, and once lost
a home, he said.
"I had two houses at one time; I have one now. I'm
down to my last house," he quipped. "It's the price
you pay for living in paradise, I guess."
A shelter for displaced residents has been set up at
the Sprague River Community Center. Only one person
spent the night, but more people filtered in Monday
to take advantage of food and other services, said
Julie Miller, spokeswoman for the American Red Cross
Cascades Region. 2014
The fire is believed to have been started by humans,
though how it began is still under investigation. It
is zero percent contained. "Our objectives are
clear; we will minimize the growth of the fire by
utilizing direct attack efforts wherever possible,"
said incident commander Chris Cline.
Meanwhile, lightning struck Oregon more than 6,000
times Sunday and Monday, touching off small fires by
the dozens on both sides of the Cascades. Such a
barrage can be expected to cause numerous "sleeper"
or holdover fires in coming days, said Robin
DeMario, spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency
Coordination Center.
Elsewhere in the West, authorities in Northern
California say a wildfire started by exhaust from a
truck at a marijuana cultivation site led to new
evacuations Monday. It was not clear how many homes
were included in the new evacuation order in the
rural Shasta County community of Igo.
Fire officials previously said the Bully Fire, which
started on Friday, was threatening 15 homes after
destroying eight homes and 10 other structures.
A 27-year-old Sacramento man, Freddie Alexander
Smoke III, was arrested on suspicion of causing the
blaze. Fire crews have been hindered by steep
terrain, dry conditions and triple-digit heat.
In Idaho, the Boise County Sheriff's Office asked
residents of about 60 homes east of Alder Creek in
Garden Valley to voluntarily evacuate because of the
Calder Fire. It's one of about 20 blazes sparked by
lightning across the Boise National Forest during a
storm Sunday night.
A wildfire burning in central Washington didn't grow
much Monday as mild winds trumped 100-degree
temperatures.
The Mills Canyon fire remained at about 35 square
miles and about 25 percent contained, fire officials
said. Crews have strengthened containment lines
around the fire near Entiat, but officials worried
about the potential for dry lightning. Residents of
three dozen homes have been told to evacuate.
Officials notified residents of about 500 other
homes to watch fire updates and be prepared to
leave.
The Associated Press
© 2014 HughesNet
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