West Coast Fire Thread

[RZehr]

I imagine there are a lot more local “Redneck” type folks stealing in these rural, backwood mountain roads and communities than antifa.

[Ken]

Well, the Douglass County Sheriff's department has had enough with all the nonsense about ANTIFA starting fires because their 911 operators are getting overwhelmed by calls from people asking about the rumors.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/us/f ... state.html

Officials dealing with mass fires on the West Coast have been forced to counter social media rumors that the blazes were set by activists.

In Medford, Ore., which saw a blaze that devastated the nearby communities of Phoenix and Talent, the Police Department reported hearing throughout Wednesday rumors that officers had arrested either leftist antifa or right-wing Proud Boys activists for arson. The department made its own Facebook post to say that neither story was true, nor was a fake graphic associated with the rumors, nor were reports of “gatherings of Antifa.”

Still, with no evidence, other social media posts repeatedly pointed suspicion toward antifa — a loosely coordinated group of activists involved in protests in places like Portland, Ore.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that 911 dispatchers were being overrun with requests for information about an untrue rumor that antifa members were arrested for setting fires. The office said the rumors are making a difficult situation even harder. “Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS!” the office said in a Facebook post.

In Oregon, which has suffered catastrophic fires in the last few days, officials haven’t even seen any evidence of such a campaign at the state or local level, said Joy Krawczyk, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry. She said many fires remain under investigation.

“We’re not seeing any indications of a mass politically-influenced arson campaign,” Ms. Krawczyk said.

Officials have previously said that one of the most devastating fires, the Santiam Canyon blaze east of Salem, was started by falling trees that knocked down power lines.

Forecasters had warned in recent days that high winds and parched lands would make for dangerous fire conditions. But officials in Washington State reported one case they believe was arson, arresting a man they say was in a highway median setting a fire. That fire was soon extinguished.

[Soloist]

Well, the Douglass County Sheriff's department has had enough with all the nonsense about ANTIFA starting fires because their 911 operators are getting overwhelmed by calls from people asking about the rumors.

Well all I know is I trust the source and it didn't label it as antifa.

[ken_sylvania]

Well, the Douglass County Sheriff's department has had enough with all the nonsense about ANTIFA starting fires because their 911 operators are getting overwhelmed by calls from people asking about the rumors.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/us/f ... state.html

Officials dealing with mass fires on the West Coast have been forced to counter social media rumors that the blazes were set by activists.

In Medford, Ore., which saw a blaze that devastated the nearby communities of Phoenix and Talent, the Police Department reported hearing throughout Wednesday rumors that officers had arrested either leftist antifa or right-wing Proud Boys activists for arson. The department made its own Facebook post to say that neither story was true, nor was a fake graphic associated with the rumors, nor were reports of “gatherings of Antifa.”

Still, with no evidence, other social media posts repeatedly pointed suspicion toward antifa — a loosely coordinated group of activists involved in protests in places like Portland, Ore.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that 911 dispatchers were being overrun with requests for information about an untrue rumor that antifa members were arrested for setting fires. The office said the rumors are making a difficult situation even harder. “Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS!” the office said in a Facebook post.

In Oregon, which has suffered catastrophic fires in the last few days, officials haven’t even seen any evidence of such a campaign at the state or local level, said Joy Krawczyk, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry. She said many fires remain under investigation.

“We’re not seeing any indications of a mass politically-influenced arson campaign,” Ms. Krawczyk said.

Officials have previously said that one of the most devastating fires, the Santiam Canyon blaze east of Salem, was started by falling trees that knocked down power lines.

Forecasters had warned in recent days that high winds and parched lands would make for dangerous fire conditions. But officials in Washington State reported one case they believe was arson, arresting a man they say was in a highway median setting a fire. That fire was soon extinguished.

So, let me get this straight.
They are frustrated because people who have heard rumors are checking with them to see whether it is fact before passing it on? Is that what they're saying?

[Ken]

Well, the Douglass County Sheriff's department has had enough with all the nonsense about ANTIFA starting fires because their 911 operators are getting overwhelmed by calls from people asking about the rumors.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/us/f ... state.html

Officials dealing with mass fires on the West Coast have been forced to counter social media rumors that the blazes were set by activists.

In Medford, Ore., which saw a blaze that devastated the nearby communities of Phoenix and Talent, the Police Department reported hearing throughout Wednesday rumors that officers had arrested either leftist antifa or right-wing Proud Boys activists for arson. The department made its own Facebook post to say that neither story was true, nor was a fake graphic associated with the rumors, nor were reports of “gatherings of Antifa.”

Still, with no evidence, other social media posts repeatedly pointed suspicion toward antifa — a loosely coordinated group of activists involved in protests in places like Portland, Ore.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that 911 dispatchers were being overrun with requests for information about an untrue rumor that antifa members were arrested for setting fires. The office said the rumors are making a difficult situation even harder. “Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS!” the office said in a Facebook post.

In Oregon, which has suffered catastrophic fires in the last few days, officials haven’t even seen any evidence of such a campaign at the state or local level, said Joy Krawczyk, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry. She said many fires remain under investigation.

“We’re not seeing any indications of a mass politically-influenced arson campaign,” Ms. Krawczyk said.

Officials have previously said that one of the most devastating fires, the Santiam Canyon blaze east of Salem, was started by falling trees that knocked down power lines.

Forecasters had warned in recent days that high winds and parched lands would make for dangerous fire conditions. But officials in Washington State reported one case they believe was arson, arresting a man they say was in a highway median setting a fire. That fire was soon extinguished.

So, let me get this straight.
They are frustrated because people who have heard rumors are checking with them to see whether it is fact before passing it on? Is that what they're saying?

They are frustrated because people are clogging up the 911 lines in the middle of an ACTUAL EMERGENCY to call to ask about false rumors that they read on Facebook. So, you know, people in actual need of help because they are burned or trapped by fire can't get through to the emergency authorities because the 911 lines were being clogged by people asking about a fake Facebook rumor.

So maybe if you want to verify something you read on Facebook, figure out a better way of doing it than calling 911 in the middle of the biggest emergency to hit this part of the country in maybe a century.

Honestly, this is something Facebook should be doing themselves as they created the problem in the first place.

[Soloist]

There are several suspicious fires that suddenly appeared a good distance from the main fire. Look at the fire maps...

[RZehr]

There are several suspicious fires that suddenly appeared a good distance from the main fire. Look at the fire maps...

Which fire map?
I have no problem believing that some individuals are taking this opportunity to light fires, as happens every summer and earlier this summer. I’ll believe antifa was involved when the evidence is compelling - not before, and not because someone says emphatically and convincingly on Facebook.

I was here on my sons birthday on August 16 and I was here in the the lighting storm that lit 30+ fires, one small one was about a mile behind my house. I watched from my house the smoke from the Lionshead, P-515 and White River and others for three weeks burning, and when the windstorm was forecasted on last Saturday, I knew it would make those fire grow exponentially in size. The Beachie Creek Fire was burning for a long time around 500 acres or so until the wind storm.

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/ ... 107835f71c

"Antifa is not running through the woods. Those guys don't even want to leave their skateboards. We got fires starting 30 miles out in the woods, and you want to blame Boogaloo and Antifa," said Hiner.

Calm winds today, which help immensely. Terribly smoky here. More that 10% of the state population is under evacuation notice.

The Lionshead/Beachie Creek has now joined with the small P-515 Fire, making a total size of about 327,000 acres. All three are only a couple miles from joining with the 130,000 acre Riverside Fire and it is expected to join.
Holiday Fire is 156,000 acres.
These aren’t the only fires, just the ones that are impacting us.
Professional firefighters have finally begun fighting the fires in the areas that our friends live. Much relief and thankfulness to them and to God for favorable weather today.

[Soloist]

The West Brush Creek incident is the easiest to quickly find. There have been some around Estacada too.
https://kval.com/news/local/interactive ... tion-zones

[RZehr]

The West Brush Creek incident is the easiest to quickly find. There have been some around Estacada too.
https://kval.com/news/local/interactive ... tion-zones

I don’t see that one yet to be determined as human caused. And human caused is not the same as intentionally human caused, and intentionally human caused is not the same as antifa causing trouble.
It’s more likely, but not as sensational, to boringly be arson/normal crime. But that doesn’t get people fired up as the antifa word does.
Almost any given year between July and November you could look at the first map and it is astonishing how many fires are burning across the state. I used to work with a guy who liked to watch these online.
What we are seeing at the moment, is a huge fire event that is impacting millions of people for the first their time, many of whom on any other year are oblivious to the amount of fires this state has every year - even in western Oregon. This year it is even in national media. It is not ignorable.
And anything that has people talking on Facebook and has media attention, will be hijacked for political reasons. Never let a crisis go to waste.
As for the seemingly ‘consensus’ in conservative communities that antifa is doing their dastardly deeds, all I know is that rumors of evil always runs everywhere, while truth is still putting its shoes on. And when truth comes out, opinions are formed, beliefs are vested in and truth isn’t spread as excitedly. I’m the same way, most of use are. It is good self preservation to hear about potential danger quickly.


Smoke particles here are at 800+ ppm, visibility terrible. I can’t see my neighbors house 2,000 feet away. I can see about 1/4 mile. Staying inside today.

I think we have Rhode Island quantity of burnt areas. Or Lancaster and Holmes county combined.

Interestingly, the dense smoke blocks radiant heat from the sun. Yesterday and today was forecast to be in the 90’s, but was in the 60’s.

[Soloist]

I don’t see that one yet to be determined as human caused. And human caused is not the same as intentionally human caused, and intentionally human caused is not the same as antifa causing trouble.

True but I know that area and there are really only two explainable possibilities. One, human started, two a spark flew several miles. Given the wind... I'd go with number 1. Also they know its suspicious.

Secondly, I've never labeled any fire as antifa caused.