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INSIDE CITY BUDGET STAYS IN THE BLACK

15th annual Cool at the Coast Golf Spectacular Florence Rotary Club | PAGE B1 THE VAN FANS ANNUAL

Ice Cream Social Fundraiser Saturday, July 20, from 1pm to 3pm

at the Florence Events Center, on the Patio.

Everyone is welcome!

TICKETS ARE $5

and will be available at the door. We are serving:

BJ’s Ice Cream and Cookies

Siuslaw News News & views that define our community

$2.00

thesiuslawnews.com

Siuslaw NewsWednesday, July 17, 2024 Florence, Oregon

Number 29 • 133 years

A shot you’ll have to work for

TONY REED PHOTO

The reason you don’t see a lot of photos of the sun setting behind the Siuslaw River Bridge will be obvious once you try to take one. In order to line this shot up, one has to wait for low tide at dusk and slog through about 100 yards of river bottom mud. As you hike out, the heavy mud gets softer and softer and will try to take your shoes with every step. The photographer will also need at least an 800 mm lens and will have to shoot from about 500 yards away (or from a boat at high tide). However, the result is worth it, when you can capture the sun dropping behind Florence’s most photographed landmark.

HOTTER WEATHER CRANKS UP FIRE DANGER Florence July 4 weekend was uneventful

US FOREST SERVICE Siuslaw National Forest

By TONY REED Siuslaw News

Despite warmer temperatures and a flood of visitors, Western Lane Fire and EMS Authority personnel saw a busy, but uneventful Independence Day weekend in Florence. Fire Chief Michael Schick called it a pretty calm weekend, with only a couple small grass fires. One occurred off North Jetty Road and was quickly snuffed. Another small grass fire at the Sutton Lake Boat ramp was contained by the pavement of Highway 101 and the parking lot, and was about the size of a parking space. Schick reported that there were also two dumpster fires in the city that were quickly put out. Police Chief John Pitcher echoed the report, saying while officers responded to a lot of fireworks-related calls, there were no major incidents to report. Schick added that he was at the launch site for the big fireworks display and said it was one of the few years where no small fires ignited on the ground.

INSIDE

Obituaries — A2 Sports & Lifestyle — B1

Siuslaw fire danger elevated to Moderate

PHOTOS BY TONY REED

A water tender arrives at the scene of a very small grass fire north of Florence July 5

Personnel and equipment

In a move that promises to speed up local wildfire response, WLFEA took possession of a “new” fire truck this week. Chief Schick said the State awarded WLFEA a used Type 6 fire truck, which will improve response around Florence. A Type 6 is a dual cab truck chassis, outfitted with a utility box, a pump and a small water tank.

Opinion — A3 Classifieds — B5-B6

Known as a “brush engine,” a Type 6 can quickly access areas where a larger fire engine cannot, allowing a crew to quickly get water on a vegetation fire. Most Type 6 trucks can “pump and roll,” meaning they can quickly wet a fire line without having to set up long hose lines. The department will also be training volunteer personnel with a fire academy.

Social media was loaded with photos of car thermometers around the western states but in Florence, highs stayed in the double digits. Classes will run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 See HEAT, Page A5

Due to increasingly hot and dry conditions, Siuslaw National Forest officials have raised fire danger from ‘low’ to ‘moderate’ as of yesterday evening. This transition serves notice that fire risk is escalating and the public needs to be extra vigilant on forested lands. “While the lush forests of the Coast Range and the Oregon Coast offer relief from high summer temperatures, these areas are still susceptible to fire,” said Kevin Reese, Fire Management Officer for the Northwest Oregon Interagency Fire Management Organization. “As thick vegetation dries out, fire danger is only going to increase. Each year, the majority of fires starts on the Siuslaw National Forest are caused by humans.” There are currently no public use restrictions in place for fire, but fire officials urge everyone to exercise caution while recreating in the woods, especially if they have a campfire. A campfire should be See FIRE, Page A5

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