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BC-US-WESTERN-WILDFIRES

Forest fires in the west attract states to provide assistance

BLY, Ore. (AP) – Out-of-state crews travel to Montana to tackle a fire that injured five firefighters while the West battles a series of forest fires that have devastated rural land and destroyed homes. Authorities say progress is being made on the country’s largest fire, the Oregon Bootleg Fire, but less than half the fire has been contained. Meanwhile, crews from California and Utah made their way to Montana, where five firefighters were injured Thursday while handling the fire at Devil’s Creek near the city of Jordan. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom declared four northern counties a state of emergency because forest fires were “extremely dangerous”.

AP US IMIGRANTS HEALTH INSURANCE

Health care for older immigrants is picking up speed in the states

CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois leads a handful of Democrat-led states in expanding health coverage to adult immigrants living in the country illegally, including the elderly. The state was the first nationwide to offer a Medicaid-like program for older immigrants last year and used this year’s budget to expand the program. California followed suit and covered people aged 50 and over in the latest state budget. The governor of Oregon has signed a plan that extends coverage to all low-income immigrants. While opponents question the cost and use of taxpayer money, experts say the move will ultimately save money and address looming issues with the country’s aging immigrant population.

AP ID SMALL AIRPLANE CRASH

Pilot dies in small plane crash in western Idaho

LEWISTON, Idaho. (AP) – Authorities say one person died when a single-engine airplane crashed and caught in flames at an airport in western Idaho. The Lewiston Tribune reports that Lewiston Fire Department chief Travis Mykleust said the department responded to a plane crash at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport at 12:11 p.m. on Saturday. Crews found the aircraft on fire. Mykleust says the fire was brought under control in a matter of minutes. First responders confirmed that one person was on board the plane and did not survive. Mykleust says no further information about the victim will be released until family members are notified. The authorities are investigating. According to official information, the airport will remain open.

MARINE DEAD ZONES

Low oxygen levels off the coast arouse fears of dead zones in the sea

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) – Low oxygen levels off the coast of Oregon and Washington are raising concerns about large “dead zones” that could decimate crabs and bottom-dwelling fish. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this week that researchers found abnormally low levels of oxygen in a large area off the Pacific coast. Year after year of low oxygen levels, starting in the early 2000s, researchers have found that Oregon now has a “hypoxia season,” just like there is a fire season – and this year’s hypoxia season has come much earlier than usual. This could have a significant impact on coastal economies, particularly those associated with the Dungeness crab.

DEPUTY FATALLY SHOT

Sheriff’s deputy in Vancouver, Washington, killed, 2 arrested

VANCOUVER, Washington (AP) – Authorities say a sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot and killed on Friday in Vancouver, Washington. The Vancouver Police Department said two people have been arrested and the authorities are still looking for a third person. The Colombian reports that the shooting occurred around 7 p.m. in a residential complex in East Vancouver and that the deputy died in a local hospital. The Clark County Sheriff’s office identified the killed MP as Jeremy Brown, 46. No information was released about what happened during the incident. Vancouver Police Department spokesman Kim Kapp said the Southwest Washington Regional Major Crimes Team is investigating.

WESTERN FIRES – EARLY INTERVENTION

New technology is fueling efforts to fight forest fires in the west

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Firefighters are trying to prepare smarter for the drought and wind-induced forest fires that have become more dangerous across the American west in recent years. They’re using new technology and better resource positioning to keep small fires from breaking out into mega-fires, like the largest wildfire in the country that charred part of Oregon that is half the size of Rhode Island. Catching fires faster gives firefighters a better chance of keeping them small. This includes the use of new computer models of fire behavior that can help assess risks before a fire breaks out and then project their path and growth.

BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN

Arrested 2 on accused of neglecting children after finding children alone

TOLEDO, Oregon (AP) – Two people were arrested and charged with child neglect after authorities said they found two children alone in a house southwest of Salem with no electricity or running water. KATU reports that according to court records, a Toledo official was sent to a home for social screening on Wednesday after it was reported that two minors were left alone. The official said a 10-year-old boy opened the door and a 13-year-old boy with special needs was inside. Court documents say the 10-year-old said he hadn’t seen her parents, identified as Tessa Padgett and Andrew Sargent, for several days and didn’t know where they were. It was not immediately known whether they would have lawyers to speak up.

VIRUS OUTBREAK WASHINGTON

Relying on the Delta variant, King County calls for inner masks

SEATTLE (AP) – The top public health officer in Washington state’s most populous district is urging everyone to wear masks in public indoor spaces – even if they have been vaccinated, because of the rise in the COVID-19 Delta variant. Dr. Jeff Duchin, Public Health – Seattle & King County’s health officer, made the recommendation on Friday. Leading Washington State Epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist, urges people to use common sense and try not to be in places with poor ventilation, but does not give a nationwide mask recommendation for vaccinated individuals.