Emergency Agencies Rescued Stranded Couple in Mountainous Area near O'Brien
A coordinated effort between several local emergency agencies was used to rescue two occupants of a vehicle that went over an embankment in remote mountainous area of the Illinois Valley this week. The Illinois Valley Fire District reports the couple was driving on Forest Service Road 4402 last Sunday when they swerved to avoid a rock and the passenger side of their vehicle started sliding off the roadway. The vehicle went off the road and rolled downhill toward a tree. The female passenger was injured in the accident. According to the report, the couple had been there for two nights and attempted several times to send smoke signals from fires with no luck. Fortunately, a man on a motorcycle was making his way into O'Brien on Tuesday when he noticed the bottom side of the pickup and stopped to investigate. As he looked over the embankment, he saw a man at the bottom of the ravine yelling for help. With minimal information, the motorcyclist found a signal, called 9-1-1 and started heading to town. Initial GPS locations put the vehicle 10 miles closer to O'Brien than it really was. The motorcyclist met rescuers on Lone Mountain Road, then rescuers drove over 20 miles in extremely difficult terrain to the incident location. ...Read more

Pacific Power Crews Deploy to Georgia to Assist with Response to Hurricane Helene
Pacific Power is sending crews, support personnel and equipment from Oregon and Washington to Georgia to aid with power restoration efforts following catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene. In response to a mutual assistance request from Georgia Power, Pacific Power is sending resources from Medford, Grants Pass, Roseburg, Bend and Astoria in Oregon as well as Walla Walla and Yakima in Washington. The Category 4 storm, with sustained winds reaching 140 miles per hour, impacted 10 states, with the National Hurricane Center reporting that its effects extended as far as 400 miles from its landfall in Florida's Big Bend region. The teams totaling 22 Pacific Power employees will be equipped with 20 trucks and associated heavy equipment to help restore power to impacted communities. Rocky Mountain Power, Pacific Power's sister company, is also deploying four additional crews to aid in the response. Pacific Power is part of a nationwide network of utilities that provide mutual assistance during emergencies and disasters. ...Read more

Rural Metro Offers Safety Tips for Opening Weekend of 2024 Deer Hunting Season
Southwest Oregon remains in "high" fire danger on this opening weekend of the general rifle deer hunting season. Rural Metro Fire Department would like to remind everyone planning to head into the woods to remember some basic rules to prevent forest fires. Campfires and cooking fires are prohibited unless inside an approved campground. Portable gas cooking stoves are allowed when used in a safe location. All vehicles are allowed only on improved roads that are free of vegetation. Smoking is only allowed inside enclosed vehicles on improved roads. Vehicles must carry a shovel and a gallon of water or a charged and operational 2.5-pound fire extinguisher. Portable generators are permitted between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. in areas that are free of flammable vegetation. Tracer ammunition and exploding targets are strictly prohibited. For more details on restrictions not specifically noted, contact your local office of the Oregon Department of Forestry or US Forest Service. ...Read more