OCR Text |
Show DAILY Sunday, August 28, 2005 HERALD ‘Wildfire burns homesin Southern Oregon Five houses caughtinflames, 30 “It started in the flats and to 40 more ordered to evacuate Jeff Barnard THE ASSOCIATED PRESS homes had been destroyed, of- ficials said. The Deer Creek fire, which SELMA, Ore. — About 800 morefirefighters werecalled in Friday to help battle a fast-moving wildfire that has burned five homes and forced the evacuation of another 30 to 40 in rural southwestern Oregon near an area burned in 2002 by the nation’s biggest wildfire. LarryWatkins watched his two-room house and an attached traveltrailer go up in flames. “I lost everything. It just wiped meright outtotally. If you don't see it on me,I lost it,” Watkins said. On the same property, structure crews and a helicopter dropping water saved the home of Nathan Lansdown, who pitched in by using a power washer andshovel. But Lansdownlost five vehicles, including a Jeep, a school bus and a pickuptruck. AsofFriday afternoon,five began Thursday afternoon, was burning on about 1,800 acres of dense forest mixed with homes a few miles east of the rural community of Selma, said Orcen eet of een spokesman Brian Ballou. About 200 firefighters, in- a wife grabbed what she could before they evacuated her,” said Chip Warner,a construction worker who once served as a volunteer firefight- counties, fought the flames that billowed our neck of the woods.” on ridgetops. Some three dozen Warner said he and his wife firefighters were stationed at have spent the last four years about that were being thinning the woods ontheir threatened. Another 800 firefighters were on their way, offi said. 500,000 acres in 2002 and could Sheriff's Psi tied yellow be seen from the centerof this plastic tape to the mailboxes of rural community. homes as they moved through “When you livein the sticks, the area urging people to evacu- it’s alwaysan issue, but you ate. Roads wereclosed, trailers don'tt expect it to happen to carrying horses left the area you,” he added. and residents gathered to watch Illinois Valley Fire Chief as four air tankers and three helarry Rich said the cause of licopters dropped fire retardant theDDeer e Creek fire was under and water. investigation. JEFF BARNARD/Associated Press helicopter returns to a nearby lake torefill its‘bucket Thursday as it battles the Deer Creekfire near Selma, Ore. A fast-moving wildfire burnedatleast five homes and forced the evacuation of Plans to open Hemingway house for tours scrapped Conservancy still lans to restore ome,useit for ‘fundraising events John Miller THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BOISE, Idaho — Plans to open for public tours the Ketchum house whereauthor Ernest Hemingwaykilled himself in 1961 have been scrubbed, a victory for neighbors who said , gawking tourists would have disrupted their upscale neighborhood. Now the Nature Conservancy, the environmental group that inherited the house in 1986 from the writer’s fourth wife, Mary Hemingway,plans to hire a caretaker anduse the home for charitable events and fund- raising. The conservancy hadoriginally hoped to change the zoning on the property and then giveit to a foundation, which would haveoffered tours. But prolonged opposition from neighbors — who threatened to sue — becamea liability, said Lou Lunte,the acting directorof the environmental group’s Idaho chapter. “Wedidn’t see an impact on YOUR FIRST-GRADE TEACHER WOULD BE PROUD. Open a Zions Bank Gold Account by September 16th and we'll donate $25 to the school of your choice.* PLUS ENJOY THESE GREAT BENEFITS WITH A GOLD ACCOUNT: ¢ Unlimited check writing * Higher interest rates e Lower rateson eligible loans** ¢ Free Internet Banking e Free Bill Pay ¢ Rent-free safe deposit box ¢ No fee on travelers cheques ¢ No-fee notary service For moredetails, visit your nearest Zions Bank branch or call 1-800-974-8800. *School mustbe accredited. Donation applies to a new a Zions Bank Checking or Money Market Gold Account. {You must have a Gold Checking Accountin order to open a Gold Money Market Account.} Donation applies one time per primary accountholderfrom July 18 through September 16, 2005. **Subjectto credit approval. Wiper cy eames eee ZIONS BANK| PBiisen eS, iia: fundraising, but certainly it was taking lot oftime,” Lunte said Thursday. “Wewere getting a lot of questions about the house. Our focus is wildlife preservation. Spending time answering the questions wasn't allowing us to focus on the incredible features in Idaho weare trying to protect.” Traces of Hemingwayremain in the home: There’s a typewriter on the top floor, beneath a window facing the mountains. Animal heads,including an impala from Africa, adorn the walls, anda painting by Waldo Pierce, one of the author's buddies from 1920s Spain, is mounted in a stairwell. But neighbors hated the proposal that would have brought joueda as twotours to the fheeed tad a road leading to the property was on to even limited tours. They also said that Ketchum city officials would be violating zoning laws if they agreed to allow a public tourist venue in a residential neighbor They also argued that while Hemingway himself at the house,he did little or no writing at the property. Meanwhile, the neighbors haveinstalled “No Trespassing” signs to keep the curious away from the place, located above a I3-acre preservealso overseen need to raise money to restore the home,built in 1954 and showing its age. Lunte said his ore es ee |