Dufur is a city in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 604 at the 2010 census. It is a farming community where wheat, tree fruit, and grapes are important crops.
Smokey Bear is an American campaign and advertising icon created by the U.S. Forest Service with artist Albert Staehle. In the Wildfire Prevention Campaign, which is the longest-running public service announcement campaign in United States history, the Ad Council, the United States Forest Service (USFS), and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), in partnership with creative agency FCB, employ Smokey Bear to educate the public about the dangers of unplanned human-caused wildfires. A campaign began in 1944 featuring Smokey and the slogan "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires". His slogan changed to "Remember... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires" in 1947 and was associated with Smokey Bear for more than five decades. In April 2001, the message was officially updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires" in response to a massive outbreak of wildfires in natural areas other than forests, and to clarify that Smokey was promoting the prevention of unplanned outdoor fires, not prescribed burns. Smokey has also had other lines throughout the years, but these have remained his central slogans. According to the Ad Council, 80% of outdoor recreationists correctly identified Smokey Bear's image and 8 in 10 recognized the campaign PSAs.
The Biscuit Fire was a massive wildfire in 2002 that burned nearly 500,000 acres in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest, in southern Oregon and northern California, in the Western United States. The fire was named after Biscuit Creek in southern Oregon. The Biscuit Fire was the largest wildfire in the recorded history of Oregon. The Biscuit Fire area is subject to warm, dry winds known as the Brookings effect, driven by high pressure over the Great Basin. The fire re-burned portions of the 1987 Silver Fire and subsequently burned in the 2017 Chetco Bar Fire.
The Balch Hotel is a historic commercial lodging building in Dufur, Oregon, United States. It was built in 1907 by Charles Balch, a local land owner and businessman. The hotel has changed hands a number of times over the years, but it has remained in continuous use since it was constructed. Today, the Balch Hotel is an active hotel serving visitors to the Dufur area. Because of its importance to local history, the Balch Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Andrew J. Dufur, Jr. was the founder of the town of Dufur, Oregon, in the United States. He was involved in stock-raising. He was born in Williamstown, Vermont, on August 29, 1847. His father was a native of New Hampshire, as were his parents. His father served through the entire War of 1812 and drew a pension for a partial disability. Andrew Jr.'s great grandfather was a French Huguenot, a refugee from France at the time of the historic French Revolution. They were of the aristocratic element whose lives were forfeited through the edict of the leaders of the Sans Cullottes, Marat and Robspierre. Andrew J. Dufur, Sr., crossed the plains to California in 1859. His wife, Lois (Burnham) Dufur, was a native of Williamstown, Vermont, descendant of an old and distinguished New England family. She died at Dufur in 1895. She and her son went to Portland, Oregon, via Panama, arriving in April, 1860. They had been preceded by the father, Andrew J., Sr. For 12 years the family lived 6 miles (10 km) from Portland, on a farm owned jointly by father and sons, comprising 800 acres (320 ha). This property they disposed of in 1871. The father of our subject died at Dufur, in June, 1897.
A large gas explosion occurred in the Northwest District neighborhood of Portland, Oregon at NW 23rd Avenue and NW Glisan Street on October 19, 2016. Nearby excavation caused a natural gas leak that triggered the explosion, which injured eight people and caused property damages totaling $17.2 million. The Oregon Public Utilities Commission determined the cause to be inadequate notification by the contractor, Loy Clark Pipeline. In total, 13 buildings were damaged, including the total destruction of the Alfred C. F. Burkhardt House, built in 1906 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Eagle Creek Fire was a destructive wildfire in the Columbia River Gorge in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. The fire was started on September 2, 2017, by a 15-year-old boy igniting fireworks during a burn ban. The fire burned 50,000 acres, and burned for three months, before being declared completely contained. As of May 29, 2018 it was found still smoldering in some areas.
The Tubbs Fire was a wildfire in Northern California during October 2017. At the time, the Tubbs Fire was the most destructive wildfire in California history, burning parts of Napa, Sonoma, and Lake counties, inflicting its greatest losses in the city of Santa Rosa. Its destructiveness was surpassed only a year later by the Camp Fire of 2018. The Tubbs Fire was one of more than a dozen large fires that broke out in early October 2017, which were simultaneously burning in eight Northern California counties, in what was called the "Northern California firestorm." By the time of its containment on October 31, the fire was estimated to have burned 36,810 acres (149 km2); at least 22 people were believed to have been killed in Sonoma County by the fire.
The Thomas Fire was a massive wildfire that affected Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and one of multiple wildfires that ignited in southern California in December 2017. It burned approximately 281,893 acres before being fully contained on January 12, 2018, making it the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time, being surpassed by the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex, less than a year later in August 2018. The Thomas Fire destroyed at least 1,063 structures, while damaging 280 others; and the fire caused over $2.2 billion in damages, including $230 million in suppression costs, becoming the seventh-most destructive wildfire in state history. As of August 2018, the Thomas Fire is California's eighth-most destructive wildfire. Ventura's agriculture industry suffered at least $171 million in losses due to the Thomas Fire.
The 2018 Washington wildfire season officially began June 1, 2018. A statewide state of emergency was declared by the Washington State Governor on July 31.
The 2018 wildfire season was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season ever recorded in California, with a total of 8,527 fires burning an area of 1,893,913 acres (766,439 ha), the largest area of burned acreage recorded in a fire season, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), as of December 21. Through the end of August 2018, Cal Fire alone spent $432 million on operations. As of May 2019, insurance claims related to this fire season had reached $12 billion, most related to the Camp Fire, in Butte County.
Wildfires in the U.S. state of Oregon in 2018 include the Boxcar Fire, Graham Fire, and Jack Knife Fire.
The Substation Fire was a wildfire in the U.S. state of Oregon near The Dalles. The fire was first reported on July 17, 2018, and had burned 78,425 acres (317 km2).
The Long Hollow Fire was a wildfire burning five miles south of Dufur, Oregon in the United States. The fire was first reported on July 6, 2018 and has burned 78,425 acres (317 km2) .The fire was started by farm equipment. The fire is located just south of the Substation Fire. It is the third major fire of the 2018 Oregon wildfire season.
The South Valley Fire is a human-caused wildfire currently burning in Wasco County near Dufur in the U.S. state of Oregon. The fire is one of three fires near Dufur, specifically the active Long Hollow Fire and the contained Substation Fire. The South Valley Fire has burned 20,000 acres (81 km2). It has caused the evacuation of 400 people and threatens 100 homes. It has impacted recreational activities along the Deschutes River.
The Natchez Fire was a wildfire that burned near the California and Oregon Border in Siskiyou County, California, in the United States. The Natchez Fire began on July 15, 2018, due to lightning, and the fire burned a total of 38,134 acres before it was fully contained on October 30, 2018.
The Woolsey Fire was a destructive wildfire that burned in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties of the U.S. state of California. The fire ignited on November 8, 2018 and burned 96,949 acres of land. The fire destroyed 1,643 structures, killed three people, and prompted the evacuation of more than 295,000 people. It was one of several fires in California that ignited on the same day. While the nearby Hill Fire was contained with minimal damage on November 16, the Camp Fire in Northern California destroyed most of the town of Paradise, killing 86 people.
