EUGENE, OR – A catastrophe scarred the forest surrounding Blue River when the Holiday Farm fire scorched three miles west of McKenzie Bridge, this past Monday.
In the stillness of Lane County, you wouldn’t expect for terror to strike. Alas, the Blue River Community went through Hell by way of a massive fire. There’s an estimate of 150 homes lost to the fire. Among those structures lost, the Goodpasture Covered Bridge, the Belknap Covered Bridge and also the McKenzie Bridge. More than one thousand families had to evacuate from their homes.
Currently, different choices are available for house families recovering from the Holiday Farm fire. While supplies are arriving, farm animals are held in shelter.
There are two distinct levels of recognition for how dire the fires are turning out to be. Level 1 means for the general public to be aware and potentially prepare to evacuate. Whereas Level 2 means you must evacuate.
Current, Level 1 protocol has extended to Fall Creek, Winberry and Lowell.
In a statement, the Blue River community expresses concern over the death of one individual as a result of the fires. “At least one employee in the County has lost a loved one to the fires. Our hearts go out to the loss all around us.”
The fire first occurred three miles west of McKenzie Bridge on the evening of Labor Day, Monday, September 7th. This information is from the National Interagency Coordination Center
As of September 9th, the Oregon Department of Forestry mentioned that thought most area structures burnt down, McKenzie High School still stands. In total, firefighters did their best to save most structures in Vida. The Holiday Farm Fire Incident page also reports regular updates about any new fires.
My advice? Move to Alaska. When do fires burn in Alaska?