An Oregon Department of Forestry fire vehicle near the community of Watts, east of Gales Creek on Tuesday, September 15. Photo: Chas Hundley
The Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests are expected to reopen to public use on Friday, September 18 at 1 a.m., according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. However, the fire danger is expected to remain at High, which comes with additional restrictions for those hiking, biking, kayaking, hunting, off-roading, and doing other activities in these ODF-managed forests. Campfire restrictions remain in place. Campfires only in the metal fire pits installed by ODF in designated campgrounds and in designated campsites, noted ODF spokesperson Jason Cox in an email to the Banks Post & Gales Creek Journal. Current restrictions can be viewed at gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html.Logging and other industrial activities will be allowed to resume in the forest beginning Thursday, September 17 at 1 a.m., with differing Industrial Fire Precaution Levels depending on which of the three zones one is working in, which can be viewed at gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/ifpl.html.The Tillamook and other state forests were first closed to public use on Wednesday, September 9, with a full closure to logging and other industrial activities following on Friday, September 11.
Cal Mukumoto, the head of the Oregon Department of Forestry announced his resignation in a brief letter Thursday during a Board of Forestry meeting, noting his last day would be Jan. 23. He'll temporarily be replaced by Kate Skinner, Tillamook District Forester.
A proposed toll road linking Forest Grove and Tillamook faced opposition, but Gales Creek residents would take any road they could get, according to a 1925 newspaper article.
"County Jail Filled to Overflow With Arrests Made" including Ernest Narver, Frank Kearns, Thomas Young, and Roy Kearns, all arrested at Balm Grove on liquor possession charges in Prohibition-era Gales Creek.
People are shooting exploding targets and firing hot lead into dry vegetation in the Tillamook Forest with predictable results: Five wildfires since May. These fires are all preventable, said Acting Forest Grove District Forester Stephanie Beall.
