Scenic Tokatee Golf Club in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon, is serving a different purpose this week.
Scenic Tokatee Golf Club in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon, is serving a different purpose this week.
It has become a staging ground for hotshot crews battling the Lookout Fire raging through the Willamette National Forest about 50 miles east of Eugene.
Smoke from the Lookout Fire as well as the Bedrock Fire is filling the skies. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality advisory, according to the Eugene Register-Guard. On Tuesday, DEQ issued a similar advisory for elevated levels of ozone in Salem, Eugene-Springfield, the Portland-Vancouver metro area and the Medford area.
Tokatee Golf Club announced Monday it was closed until further notice. According to the club’s website, the construction on the course started in 1964 and nine holes were opened in 1966. The second nine opened in 1969. The course was built on an old-growth logging site.
The big challenge was land clearing because much of the area had been an old-growth forest logged in the 1940s. The stumps had to be “blown” with dynamite, then the roots dug out and piled to be burned. A few stumps were left to show the size of the trees and how they were felled with cross-cut saws.
The Willamette Valley has been under a heat wave, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees. A large part of the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region is under a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service on Monday, reports the Register-Guard.
At Mojave National Preserve, a wildfire and intense winds are whipping flames across the land. The blaze has been dubbed the York Fire and is California’s largest of the year. As of August 2, the fire is 30% contained. National Park Service (NPS) officials report that the region’s famous Joshua trees face irreversible harm from the fire.
According to data from InciWeb, the York Fire began on July 28 in California’s New York Mountains. Since then, the fire has spread into Mojave National Preserve and crossed state lines into Nevada. The blaze has covered 82,437 acres and “continues to grow to the northeast.”
Firefighters working to contain the flames are reportedly experiencing difficulties due to fire whirls, aka “fire tornadoes.” InciWeb defines a fire whirl as “a vortex of flames and smoke that forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine, creating a spinning column of fire.” This unpredictable phenomenon can cause flames to spread and make conditions more dangerous for firefighters.
Yuccas burning during the York Fire in Mojave National Preserve on July 30, 2023. / Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images
As containment efforts persist, conservationists and Mojave National Preserve staff worry over the fate of the region’s native vegetation. Many of the Mojave Desert’s iconic Joshua trees have already been destroyed in the fire. According to the NPS, “If an area with Joshua trees burns through, most will not survive and reproduction in that area is made more difficult.”
Laura Cunningham, the California director of the Western Watersheds Project, emphasized the fire’s devastating effects on Joshua trees when speaking with CNN affiliate KVVU. “It will take a lifetime to get those mature Joshua trees back.”
While native plants remain at risk, Mojave National Preserve reports that the local desert tortoises have been minimally affected. “Fire crews carefully balance fire suppression with resource protection. They will be on the lookout for desert tortoises, making sure to avoid burrows and active individuals,” Mojave National Preserve said in a Facebook post.
Washington state’s Olympic National Park has lost its Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge in a fire. On Sunday, May 7, at 4:39 PM, Clallam County Fire District 2 responded to a dispatch reporting the blaze. Clallam County Fire District 3 and the Port Angeles Fire Department joined the fire rescue team to help control the scene. According to Clallam County Fire District 2, “the structure had already collapsed to the foundation” when help arrived.
No onsite injuries were reported, and no visitors were in the lodge during the fire. Due to an ongoing rehabilitation project, the lodge has been closed since March 27. While renovations were set to be finished in 2024, park officials now say that “the structure appears to be a complete loss.”
Photo via Jay Cline / Clallam County Fire District 2
As of May 8, the fire’s cause remains unknown. Olympic National Park’s acting Deputy Superintendent Roy Zipp told The Seattle Times that the park is “still developing the basic facts around the incident and trying to determine the origin of the cause.” The park will be handling further investigation into the fire, according to Clallam County Fire District 2.
Built in the 1950s, Day Lodge holds a special place in the hearts of many locals. For Heidi Walker of Discover Your Northwest, a Seattle-based nonprofit that supports the region’s public lands, the loss of this iconic structure has hit home.
“How can it be gone? It’s such a big part of the park, and it’s gone,” Walker told Seattle’s KIRO 7 News. “It’s almost like, almost like losing a friend even in my adulthood.”
In the comments of an Olympic National Park Facebook post announcing the fire, past visitors have begun sharing memories of the lodge. For many, the lodge was the backdrop for cherished moments within the park. Those who want to follow the topic as further details emerge can find official releases via the park’s news hub.
Distant wildfires are creating smoky conditions in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park to the south.
Distant wildfires are creating smoky conditions in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park to the south.
“Heads Up! Smoky conditions are expected to continue this week in the park,” Yellowstone cautioned Monday night via Facebook. “Wind can blow smoke from far-away wildland fires for hundreds of miles, which is what’s causing the current smoky conditions in the park.
“As record-breaking heat and historic drought conditions continue in the western U.S. this summer, be sure to check air quality conditions before spending a lot of time outdoors!”
Yellowstone, which has Stage 1 fire restrictions in effect, posted the accompanying images showing the Roosevelt Arch in a smoky haze on Monday (top images), and the same park-entrance landmark in Gardiner, Montana, on a typical summer day.
Grand Teton National Park has not issued any alerts but smoke extends throughout portions of the park and at least as far south as Jackson, Wyoming.
Prospective visitors can access an interactive map showing active wildfires and air-quality conditions pertaining to smoke in the region.
Firefighters were having a training exercise at the facility, but help was later needed from multiple departments.
A fire broke out Saturday morning at the Jamestown Golf Course near Newport, Rhode Island, requiring mutual aid from three neighboring communities — Newport, Middletown and North Kingstown — before it was put down.
Deputy Fire Chief Howie Tighe said a pre-planned training exercise was taking place at the golf course at the time. The fire may have started out as a training exercise for Jamestown firefighters, but it was firefighting mutual aid for his department, a Middletown battalion chief said.
When Tighe was asked if the fire at the golf course got unexpectedly out of hand, he said that was not the case but did not give details before ending the call. He said a press release would be sent out later by Jamestown Police Chief Edward Mello.
“The Jamestown Fire Department conducted a training exercise at the former Jamestown Golf Course clubhouse,” the press release says. “The building is set to be demolished on Monday, February 8, by the Jamestown Public Works Department as part of a larger project which replaces the decades-old building.”
“The exercise involved the response of mutual aid assets from surrounding communities,” the release says. “Deputy Chief Tighe described the exercise as a unique opportunity for his staff to experience realistic fire conditions. The expanded exercise involving multiple agencies allowed for firefighters to exercise their respective mutual aid response.”
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According to a Jamestown dispatcher earlier in the day, the fire call came in around 10:30 a.m. Within the next 20 minutes, a call for mutual aid went out.
Newport Deputy Fire Chief Tim Redmond said his department sent an engine and ladder truck. Middletown Battalion Chief Jon Reese said his department also sent an engine and ladder truck.
The chiefs said command cars from North Kingstown were also present.
“The building was in flames when we arrived,” Reese said. “We helped them knock it down.”
Asked later in the day if it was a training exercise for the Middletown Fire Department, after the press release went out, Reese said it was not.
“We were not part of any training exercise,” Reese said. “We responded as part of mutual aid. They called us for aid. That training exercise was something we were not part of.”
Firefighters work the scene of a blaze at Jamestown Golf Course on Saturday.
Tighe did not return calls to his cell phone asking for clarification.
The Jamestown Golf Course is a nine-hole public golf course located at 245 Conanicus Ave.
“The golf course was first established in 1901 and the subtle history is evident throughout the open, wind-blown layout,” says the establishment’s website.
A clubhouse originally was erected on the south side of the course and links at the former Littlefield-Clarke farm, also in 1901, according to the website.
“The clubhouse was moved in 1951 to its present location on Conanicus Avenue,” the website says.
Eric Paschall and Damion Lee chimed in on Twitter after the Bay Area’s sky was transformed from blue to orange.
Sunny blue skies were not in the Bay Area’s weather forecast on Wednesday. Instead, residents across Northern California woke up to dark orange hazy skies. With wildfires burning throughout the West Coast, the wind brought a new layer of smoke into the Bay Area.
As the sky looked apocalyptic, many across the Bay Area took to social media to share pictures of what it looked like outside. Two members of the Golden State Warriors chimed in on Twitter with reactions to the eerie-looking setting.
Although it was morning, the dark shadow of smoke in the air had many thinking it was still nighttime. Warriors rookie Eric Paschall thought he was “tripping” when he woke up.
Absolutely no filter. This is exactly how it looked at 1030 am. That’s San Francisco and the iconic bay bridge . The California wildfires have turned day into night on a day we will never forget @kron4newspic.twitter.com/U691r11ZGL
Despite the orange sky, both the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics hosted baseball games in their Bay Area stadiums on Wednesday. Over the weekend, the San Francisco 49ers will open up their 2020 season in Santa Clara against the Arizona Cardinals.
Cameron Smith’s performance at the Sony Open dictates his donation level to the relief efforts in Australia. Good thing he’s playing well.
Last week, with the bush fires spreading across Australia, Cameron Smith announced a generous pledge to help the relief efforts.
The 26-year-old Aussie pledged $500 per birdie and $1,000 for each eagle he’d make at this week’s Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Heading into the weekend, Smith sits T-3 at 5 under, one shot off the lead held by Brendan Steele and fellow Australian Cameron Davis. His pledge has been a motivator this week, and through two rounds, Smith has made 12 birdies, totaling $6,000 dollars in relief with “plenty more birdies” to come.
Smith flew to Hawaii straight from Australia, where he saw first-hand the damage being done. He has an uncle in New South Wales, who lost everything.
“Where I was in Brisbane it’s probably less affected than the areas down south, like New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, they’re all not doing too good,” explained Smith. “It’s pretty tragic to see. I flew into Sydney to come here, and we probably couldn’t see — usually from Sydney airport you can see downtown, the Sydney skyline. You couldn’t see that. The smoke was pretty bad.”
General view of the Dunn Road fire on January 10, 2020 in Mount Adrah, Australia. About 1995 homes have been destroyed and another 816 have been damaged across New South Wales. (Photo: Sam Mooy/Getty Images)
Focusing on winning a tournament is hard enough, let alone trying to keep in contact with friends and family in the middle of a disaster. After his rounds, the Brisbane native has been checking his phone, watching the news, anything to keep in touch.
“Like I said, in Brisbane where most of the family is isn’t so bad,” said Smith. “But, yeah, got heaps of friends down there that are all in the midst of it. Yeah, just send them my thoughts and hoping they all stay safe.”
Smith said while his pledge is motivating, he’s focused on the tournament, looking for his first solo PGA Tour win. His only win on Tour came in 2017 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Jonas Blixt.
Images taken during the bushfire crisis are projected on the sails of the Sydney Opera House on January 11, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)
“I’m just trying to do my thing, and that’s probably the best way to raise as much money as I can for the fires back home,” said Smith.
This level of form this early in the season is unusual for Smith, but with the Presidents Cup and Australian PGA Championship just weeks ago, he’s been able to keep his game in shape.
“In past years I’ve had three weeks, four weeks off before I get (to Hawaii), and I’m typically pretty lazy when I’m home, eating pies and all that stuff,” said Smith, who went 1-1-1 in his Presidents Cup debut and finished T-10 at the Australian PGA. “So it’s actually been quite good in the fact that I’ve been able to kind of carry over and I played really well at the Presidents Cup and played again the next week quite solidly.”
