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SUNNY Temp: 82 °F Wind: N at 3 mph Thursday, August 29, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend July 17, 2002 Neighbor Rich Royer, left, and friend Joe Parks of Cave Junction stand ready along with a Phoenix fire truck to help protect the North Star Ranch from the Wall Creek fire. The fire grew from 40 to 1,000 acres Monday night in a remote area north of Trail. Click the photo to see a larger (40k) version; use your Back button to return to the story. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Up against the Wall Residents question firefighting procedures as Wall Creek blaze closes on their homes By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune TRAIL — With eight fires raging in Southern Oregon, some residents threatened by a 1,000-acre blaze in the remote Wall Creek area worry there might not be enough manpower to protect their homes. "Their resources are stretched thin, and their communication could have been better," said Eric Weiss, who owns the 90-acre North Star Ranch. Related stories: � The Squire fire is still winning the battle, and some residents are asked to evacuate . � A roundup of major wildfires in Southern Oregon and Northern California . The blaze, about eight miles north of Trail, jumped from 40 to 1,000 acres Monday night, threatening 30 homes in an area to the east of Highway 227. Some residents decided to leave their homes, packing as many belongings as they could carry. Others, like Weiss, decided to stick it out, working feverishly to cut down brush while keeping a wary eye on the fire. Driving on bumpy back roads that had been cleared by bulldozers, Weiss and some friends brought one crew sandwiches and refreshments as temperatures climbed into the 90s. He said the men, about two miles from his home, had been virtually abandoned. "These guys are just sitting around for 10 hours without water," said Weiss. However, when Weiss was bringing the crew more provisions at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, he discovered the line had been abandoned, with flames threatening to jump the road. After notifying the fire command station in Trail, he said a crew, two bulldozers and two water trucks were almost immediately sent to the line. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease," he said. When the crew was scheduled to leave later Tuesday evening, Weiss said, "Me and a couple of friends are going to man the fire line all night. Once again, neighbors band together and things will work out all right." Rich Royer, who lives close to Weiss, complained that fire crews seemed disorganized. "They’re all standing around on the roads looking at maps." He said he has been running his own tractor trying to clear a line around his property. "We’re our own homeland security," he said. "I’ve been running my ‘Cat’ all day." Karen Gillespie, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Forestry, said, "The resources are stretched somewhat thin, but they’ve been thinner." On Wall Creek, she said, there are 140 firefighters compared to 330 on the Squire fire. Other support personnel are at both blazes. Gillespie said resources would continue to be ordered as necessary. "It’s a scary situation for homeowners and we respect that," she said. "We are running around the clock." She said that firefighters are doing everything they can to protect homes, pointing out that no structures had been lost in the Wall Creek area as of Tuesday evening. Gillespie said the 104 firefighters are getting continuous orders for meals, but she admitted there might be delays because of the inaccessibility of some areas in Wall Creek. While no evacuations of homes have been made, Gillespie said a task force has been in the area since Monday to determine if any structures are in danger. Chad Holzhauser worries he might be forced to leave his two-story cabin on Mushmouse Mountain Road. "They (fire crews) are going to try and run us out," he said. "They can’t make us leave." Holzhauser worked through the night helping neighbors clear around their homes. Some of the residents already had packed up their belongings but were waiting until the last minute to evacuate. Jack Bacon, who lives on Broken Buzzard Foot Ranch on Mushmouse Mountain Road, said, "At six o’clock this morning, a guy came in and said you ought to leave." Bacon, a pastor, hopes a 20,000-gallon pool and fireproof siding on the house will fend off the fire. "It’s me, the lord and the fire hose," he said. With the help of neighbors, Bacon has cut down a swath of trees around his home, providing more of a fire break. But he and his wife aren’t taking any chances. Suzanne Bacon said, "We’ve got our stuff all packed up." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S