THE AFTERMATH: FIRE IN THE ‘BIG THREE’ STATES

Welcome back MHCC staff, students and teachers and a quick hello to all new students attending online this term and for those who have classes in person!

It’s been quite the year, and the year isn’t necessarily over yet, but I’m already counting down the days. From a pandemic, to a statewide shutdown, a social movement and more that has happened that I haven’t listed, now we can add fire to the list because we have just had major wildfires and their impacts take over the three West Coast states.

Since exploding on Sept. 7, the fires in Oregon have taken 8 lives and burned over 950,000 acres, and this has been named Oregon’s most destructive wildfire season on record. I’m sure, like me, you have all seen the smoke filling the air, and smelt it, too, and have seen how it has blocked out the sun. I know it hasn’t been pleasant, and for many people it has been worse, having lost their homes and possessions or even loved ones.

How did it all start? is the question. Was this all just Mother Nature or was there also human involvement that pushed it to the brink?

Well, according to Oregon state and county law enforcement the answer is No, there has been no connection between the wildfires raging throughout Oregon and the antifa (anti-facist movement) and no arrests of that sort have been made – though some mainstream conservative pundits, a major police publication and a conspiracy theorist aligned with QAnon have all promoted this false narrative about the historically destructive and deadly wildfires.

Public officials are now asking people to stop spreading these false rumors claiming such. Investigators are looking into arson for at least one fire (in southern Oregon), though authorities say there is no evidence suggesting that this arson was politically motivated.

With so much fear being spread through our communities, we all, in a way, feel the need to keep our guard up. We want to stay informed to make sure we’re prepared for anything and everything as best as possible and sometimes we might not be getting the most accurate information.

I haven’t been seeing them myself, but there have been shared social media images of armed people gathering in Molalla and Corbett, just east of Troutdale, concerned about looters and arsonists and taking it upon themselves to protect their homes and belongings, even if it means risking their lives to do so.

Things have begun to feel drastic – tensions high – and as people we are doing all we can to protect what’s ours, even if we don’t always know the right way.

Add to that, the horrible air quality, one of the reasons why MHCC has delayed the start of the Fall Term. Everything has been pushed back a week (classes start Sept. 28), which can be a good or a bad thing, from whichever point you want to look at it.

I know this has taken a toll on us all mentally, and physically. I’ve been stressed to the max wondering when I would get a text message or an alert letting me know my family will have to evacuate. In fact, we have even taken to buying survival packs and a survival medical kit, while I personally made sure I have enough diabetic medication and testing strips and even a back-up diabetic kit, just in case.

As I write this, it almost feels like a held-in breath, waiting for something else to happen. Even though we aren’t in the clear yet, it still feels weird that we aren’t in total chaos anymore.

Now, we have an approaching rain storm heading our way and it may have been a bit more than we bargained for. Rain could offer us all so much relief, and it would help out the firefighters with suppressing the existing fires scorching the state, but could also cause more problems.

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries said flash flood warnings/watches apply to portions of Multnomah, Clackamas, Hood River, Marion, Linn, Lane, Douglas, Coos, Jackson and Klamath counties. KGW-TV meteorologist Rod Hill said downpours could result in an inch of rain in certain areas, over the span of just 20 to 30 minutes.

I feel and hope this rain might offer more pros than cons, since it will help stop the fires that have been ravishing the state and help clear out the smoke and make it easier to breathe.

With so much having taken place this calendar year it’s almost felt like an entire decade or longer. There has been more negative than positive, but with hope we can begin to change that, we can start to put this behind us and, as they say, make this “one for the textbooks” and start rebuilding what we have lost, while mourning those we have lost.