Burn, Baby, Burn

Unidentified teen starts a forest fire on national land in Oregon causing schools to close.  

Of the many Oregon acres of forest land on State-National lands, 48,800 of it is burned to black this year. In the State of beavers and douglas fir trees, a fire erupted by a single firecracker and smoke bomb on September 2nd, 2017. Every bit of life is charred and the smell of smoke is still racing through the air nearly two months later. This includes all vegetation burned, the river full of debris, crumbling trails, and a bridge’s suspension cable snapped due to a falling rock. All because of a 15 year-old boy who allegedly started the fire with fireworks. The individual has not been arrested or charged with any type of crime yet.

Annually, over 73,000 wildfires burn about 7 million acres of land around the world. The 48,800 acres of land burnt in Hood River Oregon is only adding on. As of now, the fire is 46% contained with the help from firefighters and recent rain showers. Now that rain is falling, dangers and hazards like flash floods, mudslides and landslides can occur. This is dangerous for the nearby lodge, people in the area, and the surrounding wildlife.

Hannah Tamlyn, a sophomore at Putnam High School was stuck in the Eagle Creek Fire area fire for 2 days straight. She and about 150 other people were stuck on the Eagle Creek Trail and walked about 20 miles. They were trapped on the hike and had to hike the Punchbowl Falls Trail, being forced to go the opposite way which made everyone remain overnight while taking the longer way to return home. “No major injuries have happened, only little injuries and little scratches,” states Roger Welty from the Oregon Department of Forestry on the people affected by the fire.

In the Portland area, Portland Public Schools had closed their schools due to poor air quality on September 5th. The air was polluted with ash and thick smoke while the North Clackamas School District began school on September 6th. Many students were exposed to the poor air quality and conditions, which can affect the lungs and make breathing much more difficult. Experiences like this have varied throughout the Portland and Clackamas area.

The unidentified teen could be charged for the damage caused from the event after igniting the fireworks. If the teen is taken to court, the judge may declare possible consequences like community service or be charged with a fine.

“The cost of the fire so far, the amount of money that was spent to fight the fire, is $19.24 million dollars.” Rachel Pawlitz responds, an Oregon’s Public Affairs officer. The bridge’s damage cost is unknown, but the cost for paying the firefighters is coming out of the National Forest Foundation. The nearby Multnomah Falls Lodge is closed and there is no timeline of when the lodge will reopen.

The environment’s homeostasis has dropped significantly and it is unknown when the environment will return to its’ stable state of health. Tourists and citizens of this state will not be able to visit the Columbia River Gorge for an unknown period.