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CLEAR Temp: 62 °F Wind: WNW at 4 mph Friday, August 30, 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 August 15, 2002 Flames put on quite a show By CHRISTIAN BRINGHURST Mail Tribune As flames from the East Antelope fire crested Grizzly Peak northeast of Ashland, residents crept onto porches, walkways and lawns to stare at the smoking spectacle while visiting motorists crowded the roadways. The growth of the blaze on Wednesday gave Rogue Valley residents their first glimpse of the fire fueling the funnel of smoke behind Grizzly Peak since Tuesday. "It’s pretty amazing," said Sam Simpson, a nurse at Rogue Valley Medical Center. "It brings it home, you know?" Simpson took position from a vantage point near the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to snap a few photos — wishing, as he did, that he had not just given the good camera to his son in Las Vegas. "It’s hard to see how they’re going to stop it," he said as flames neared the tree line. Festivalgoers found it hard to leave the drama on the hills for the stage variety. "We just saw a huge flame burst out of nowhere," gasped 10-year-old Eric Earle of Portland. "It’s horrible to see the forest being depleted," reflected his 12-year-old brother, Andy. The Earle family was on its way to a performance of "Route 66" at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre down the street. Seattle honeymooners Pete MacDonald and Elena Olsen watched the approaching blaze with interest — and a little humor. "We came to hell for our honeymoon," laughed Olsen. "Is it going to speed up when it hits the grass?" she wondered. Reactions to the wildfire varied in energy with the visible ebb and flow of the fire itself. "We saw a flame when we were down by the plaza — oh look!" exclaimed MacDonald. "Like that right there!" Others expressed concern for the residents of homes that were closest to the fire. "If I was in one of those houses I’d be very worried," said Kay Odgers of Torrance, Calif. "We’re from Southern California," she added. "We get ash at our place, but we’ve never seen anything like this." Rod Duncan and his wife, Carol Thompson, had left their cabin in California’s Trinity Alps for an evening showing of OSF’s "Saturday, Sunday, Monday." "That’s so dangerous for those guys," said Duncan, watching aircraft swoop in and out of the smoke. "At least they’re working it," said his wife. "About an hour ago, you couldn’t see anything going on." "I would be evacuating right now," said Olsen of the homes east of the interstate. "That’s pretty dramatic," added her husband. Reach reporter Christian Bringhurst at 776-4459. 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