Press release from Six Rivers National Forest:

California Incident Management Team 2 is in command of the Six Rivers National Forest (SRF) 2023 Lightning Complex which includes the Lone Pine, Pearch, Mosquito, Blue Creek, Blue Creek 2, Bluff #1, Let-er-buck, and Iron fires in addition to Redwood National and State Parks wildfires; Lost, Devil and Glenn Fires.

Redwood National and State Parks Area

Lost – 0% contained. Full suppression tactics continue on the Lost Fire, estimated at 351 acres. The fire is located in the Lost Man Creek watershed west of Holter Ridge Road and south of the Lost Man Creek Trail/Geneva Road. Crews are working to prevent the fire from entering old growth forest and adjacent private timberland. CAL FIRE and Green Diamond Resource Company are collaborating with suppression efforts on the Lost Fire.

Devil 12 acres contained and in patrol status Glen 0.1 contained and in patrol status.

Hoopa Area

Lone Pine - Located south of Hoopa in the Horse Linto Creek watershed east of the Trinity River and across the river from Tish Tang Campground and Sugar Bowl Ranch, fire size is estimated at 1,624 acres. Crews are pushing the fire toward the mainstem Trinity River into a planned backing alignment while holding and monitoring current lines.

Orleans Area

Pearch - East of Orleans is estimated at 981 acres, has resumed a backing alignment after making a northeast run towards Somes Mountain. The fire pushed toward north fork Boise Creek, staying south of Pearch Creek and north of South Fork Pearch Creek. Fire lines established in 2006 are being utilized as the fire moves towards Somes Mountain. The Orleans pumphouse has been prepped with structure wrap.

Pearch Fire Evacuation Warning:

Orleans:

• Zone HUM-E009 (Southeast of the Klamath River in Orleans)
• Zone HUM-E008-B (Community of Orleans, west of Klamath River. East of Crawford Creek, including Orleans proper). Hwy 96 and Red Cap Road along east bank of Klamath River, south from Salmon River, east to Orleans Mountain.

Approximately 243 residents live in these 2 zones.

Somes Bar

• Zone SIS-1701: NORTH of Monte Creek Road, SOUTH OF Camp Three Road, EAST OF Camp Three Road, WEST OF Wooley Creek Trailhead. Anyone in these areas should be prepared for potential evacuations, including personal supplies and overnight accommodations. Be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Iron - Located above Ti-Bar Wildland Fire Station, this fire has been contained at 17 acres.

Mosquito - Near the Bluff Creek area north of Mosquito Lake is estimated at 1,061 acres. The fire remains north of Forest Road 11N19 and west of Forest Road 12N12. Two engines, one water tender, one dozer, and one division are on site. Smoke jumpers are also on site.

The following fires are currently unstaffed due to limited resources. Additional resources are on order.

Bluff #1 - 56 acres Blue Creek - .1 acre Blue Creek 2 - 318 acres Let er-Buck - 32 acres

Total estimated acreage for the SRF Lightning Complex is 3,091 acres.

Weather

The remnants of tropical storm Hilary will move out of the area today however clouds and a few showers are possible until the early afternoon. Breezy northeast winds will diminish through the day then become northwesterly. Clouds and lingering moisture will keep humidity levels higher and daytime temps lower. Today will see a 10% chance of isolated showers, with cooler and drier air along the ridges above the smoke inversion.

Six Rivers National Forest Closures

Closures are in effect on Six Rivers National Forest. They may be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/. Outdoor activities are not recommended due to wildfire danger and unhealthy air quality.

Redwood National Park and State Parks Closures

Due to fire activity in the area, Lost Man Trail from the trailhead on Bald Hills Road to the gate at the Lost Man Picnic Area is closed. Lost Man Road will remain open from Hwy 101 to the Lost Man Picnic Area.

Alert Notifications

ZoneHaven/Genasys for map and zone identification:

https://protect.genasys.com

Humboldt County resident emergency alert sign up:

www.humboldt.gov/alerts

Siskiyou County resident emergency alert sign up:

https://public.coderedweb.com/

William Elijah Price was born to Sarah Scott and Jason Price, Sr. on December 15, 2007, in Arcata. He entered into eternal rest on August 13, 2023.

How do you sum up the life of such a wonderful, beloved young man? William attended Jack Norton and Trinity Valley Elementary schools and was ready to start his sophomore year at Hoopa Valley High School, where he was a member of the Hoopa Warriors football team. He was an active, fun-loving young man who enjoyed adventure of any sort with his family and friends. He especially loved swimming and playing games with his cousins.

William was the epitome of kindness, always ready to help in any way he could. He was the best big brother, happy to spend time with his four younger siblings who absolutely adored him.

Our sweet William was a treasured son, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. He will be remembered for his sweet nature and the mischievous sparkle in his eyes, and will be so deeply missed by all who knew him.

William was preceded in death by his father, Jason Price, Sr., brother Jason Price, Jr., cousins Steven and Stephanie Lewis, uncle Norman Lewis Jr., and maternal grandparents Sam and Kit Scott. He is survived by his parents, Sarah Scott and Alex Barner, siblings Devin, Roman, Jaycee, Crystal, Kaylee and Miles, paternal grandparents Walt Cosce, Sunny Cosce and Catherine Bourdase, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family.

A memorial service for William will be held at Mattz Gymnasium in Hoopa at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. He will live in our hearts forever.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of William Price’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Frederick Arthur Rowen, Sr. died at his home in Eureka on August 2, 2023, a few days before his 81st birthday. The cause of his death was a rare neurodegenerative disorder called Multiple Systems Atrophy which was diagnosed nine years ago. With the devoted care of his wife, Virginia, the strong support of his two sons, Fred Jr. and Brad, the weekly help of Alisa Osburn and in recent months the wonderful care from Hospice of Humboldt (special Thanks to Robert and Christina), Fred was able to remain at home throughout the progression of this disorder.

Fred and his twin brother, Frank, were born in Richmond, Calif. on August 22, 1942. The family moved to Eureka in their early years and Fred attended local schools, graduating in 1960 from Eureka High School. He served as a US Marine for the following 4 years and upon his return to Humboldt County he finished a degree in Economics at Humboldt State University in 1972.

While attending Humboldt State, Fred and his first wife, Sabina, had their two sons and Fred worked at Safeway, mainly in Arcata. He continued to work at Safeway until his retirement in 1997.

Fred and Virginia Snyder Rowen were married for over 45 years, having been married December 17, 1977. Fred lived a life filled with varied interests. He was a skilled builder, designing and building additions to their home and major remodels of most of the original house. He enjoyed river fishing with his sons and created fond memories for them. Fred had a real passion for baseball, from helping with our local little league for several years to supporting his sons’ baseball playing years. He was a big Giants fan and took several family trips to Spring Training Camps in Scottsdale, Arizona. He loved his garden, especially growing many vegetables. He had his first experience with international travel while in the Marines, but had more fun traveling with Virginia to Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain and Mexico. Their travel also included many destinations within the US and brought them joy for many years. In quieter moments Fred was an avid Crossword Puzzler and a reader.

Those who survive Fred are his wife, Virginia, his sons, Fred Jr. (Monica) and Brad (Yelena), his four grandchildren, Jannelle, Haylee, Nicolas and Vivienne, his two step grandchildren, Evan and Olivia, his brother, Robert (Moneca) and nephews, Robert and Todd and his sister in law and brother in law, Jane and Mike Minor and nephew, Josh Summerfield. Fred will be remembered by us all and by extended family and friends not mentioned here.

No services are planned at this time.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Fred Rowen’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Duane Harry Kempf, a life-long resident of Humboldt County, passed away peacefully in his family home in Loleta on June 5, 2023, after a long battle with illness at the age of 61.

The eldest child of Donald and Doris Kempf, Duane was born on July 30, 1961. He graduated from Fortuna Union High School in 1979, where he had participated in athletics, the FFA Vocational Agriculture Program, as well as worked on the family dairy farm. Duane married Robin Agajanian in 1984 and together they welcomed son Donald Wesley Kempf on December 2, 1985 and daughter Kelli Anna Kempf on March 17, 1988. Duane enjoyed his life as a dairy farmer until well into his 40s. In the early 2000s, he put his lifetime of experience and knowledge in agriculture to new use: sales. He worked with Ag Sales in Arcata before taking a position at Fernbridge Tractor & Equipment where he worked until he retired.

Preceded in death by his parents Donald and Doris Kempf and his younger brother Dean Kempf. He is survived by his children Donald Wesley Kempf (37) and Kelli Anna Kempf (35); his sister Denise Ann (Kempf) Regli and husband Dennis Regli; and niece Kayla Regli.

Duane was a good bowler and a good man. He was a man who loved horse racing and The Big Lebowski. Known affectionately as “Tiny” due to his short stature, standing a mere 6’10, Duane was good-natured, outgoing, an instant friend to everyone and will forever be in the hearts of all who knew him.

Duane “Tiny” Kempf
July 30, 1961 - June 5, 2023

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Duane Kempf’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

heroine (n.) “demigoddess,” from Latin heroine, heroina “a female hero, a demigoddess” (such as Medea), from Greek hērōine, fem. of hērōs

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This column all started with a minor disagreement, whether it was sexist to use the word “heroine.” We’ve certainly come a long way from “Mrs.” and “Girl Friday” and “You’re so pretty when you’re angry.” These days, female actors are (usually) “actors,” “nurses” can be male, female or anything else, “chairman” has given way to “chair,” similarly a “police officer” can come in any gendered version. Of course, like most language change, it can get a bit silly. For instance, five years ago, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau scolded a woman in the audience who’d asked a question: “We like to say ‘peoplekind,’ not necessarily ‘mankind,’ because it’s more inclusive,” he said. (He then got it from both sides, both for mansplaining and for virtue-signaling.)

How about heroines? Those brave souls who fly in to save peoplekind from an awful fate, and who happen to have XY chromosomes: are they “heroines” or “female heroes”… or just “heroes”? I’m going to go with the former, because I want to make another point, and don’t want to bore you to death with semantics. They’re all heroines for the next five minutes, and I want to talk about epic heroines.

The literary form known as the epic is old, at least four thousand years old, since we have, in various copies, the Assyrian Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates back at least to 1600 BC and whose hero is probably based on a real king of the Sumerian city of Uruk who reigned around 2800 BC. Then we’ve got Homer’s heroes: Achilles, Hector, Ulysses and all the rest. In the Jewish Bible, there’s mythical Moses, while (later) Brits had the Beowulf and semi-mythical King Arthur…

Notice anything? They all, to a man, men. If you’re going to go with epics, you’re probably stuck with dudes, since it’s pretty hard to find worthy heroines. Maybe Euripedes’ jilted avenger Medea, or that other vengeful woman, Electra? There’s the (unhistorical) Esther, a Jewish orphan who was supposed to have become become Queen of Persia and saved her people from genocide. But they’re rather tame as heroes go — none evoke, for instance, the kind of prose that introduces the Iliad: “Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks incalculable pain, pitched countless souls.” (You know you’re in for a wild ride before you’ve gone beyond the first line!)

All of which got me thinking about more modern, not-quite-epic heroines. On the fictional side, I’d name Jane Eyre, Hermione Granger, Ellen Ripley, Lisbeth Salander, Buffy Summers, Katniss Everdeen. And for real-life heroines, off the top  of my head: Hildegard of Bingen, Queen Elizabeth I of England, Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, Harriet Tubman, Mother Jones (“The most dangerous woman in America”). Coming closer to our own time, how about Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Malala Yousafzai, Princess Di (for her willingness to embrace AIDS patients when everyone else was shunning them), Greta Thunberg…

Now I’d like to hear of your favorite heroines, real and fictional. 

PEARCH FIRE UPDATE: The Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services issued an evacuation warning for Orleans residents shortly after 1 p.m.

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Original post:

Six Rivers National Forest and Hoopa Tribe Joint News Release:

Management of the Lone Pine Fire, Bluff Complex and Pearch fire is transitioning today from North Coast Type 3 Team to a type 1 team, California Incident Management Team 2.
 
The Lone Pine Fire, estimated at 1,200 acres, continues to creep along the forest floor with few flare ups overnight. Crews are directing the fire slowly down the Tish Tang ridgeline toward the mainstem Trinity River. Travelers on Highway 96 should not be alarmed if they see active fire near the riverbank as it is planned. Robust dozer line has been cut on the northern side, and crews will be working hard to hold the line today. The eastern side of the fire lost a lot of heat in the last 48 hours and is being monitored and held as well. Firefighters continue to corral the fire path downslope toward the river in a controlled and orderly fashion. 
 
Evacuation Advisory: An evacuation ADVISORY has been issued by the Hoopa Office of Emergency Services for zone HIA-E014-B. This zone is north of the Bigfoot Scenic Byway; south of Tish Tang Road; east of Tish Tang Road. This ADVISORY is a precautionary notice designed to give residents time to prepare for a possible evacuation. Potential for evacuation warning if fire crosses Tish Tang Creek. 
 
The Pearch Fire became active yesterday afternoon, expanding north and east to a new estimate of 400 acres this morning. Crews continue to work on community structure protection objectives. Additional resources continue to arrive on this fire to continue full suppression tactics.  

A community meeting is planned at the Karuk Department of Natural Resources located at 39051 Highway 96 in Orleans at 1:00pm. Community meeting will also be posted on the Six Rivers National Forest facebook page at www.facebook.com/sixriversnf
 
Bluff Complex consists of 5 separate fires located near the Bluff Creek area north of Mosquito Lake. The total acreage for the complex is approximately 400 acres with 0% containment. With limited resource capacity fires are being monitored and assessed. 
 
There are NO EVACUATIONS for any of the fires listed on this update. More information will be provided if fire conditions change. To view advisory location map visit www.protect.genasys.com or download the Genasys Protect App. Most importantly, all Humboldt County residents are encouraged to sign up for alerts on www.humboldtgov.org/alerts to receive advisory and evacuations notifications from the Humboldt County Sherriff.

Weather today will stay in the low 90s on the valley floors, while mid-slope and high country ridgelines will see mid-80s and even high 70s. This afternoon the region is under Red Flag Warning due to abundant lightning forecast from 1:00 pm until 10:00 pm this evening, with gust up to 40 mph. Smoke inversion will keep fuel moisture higher throughout the day, with RH hovering in the low 30s to 40s. 
 
Air quality is predicted to be Hazardous today. Avoid all outdoor physical activity. Sensitive groups should stay in a place with cleaner indoor air & keep activity levels light. Recommendation is to go someplace with air conditioning. 

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The kids are alright. 16 youth took Montana to court to challenge their state’s failure to consider greenhouse gas emissions when approving fossil fuel extraction permits. Using Montana’s unique constitution, which explicitly recognizes a right to a clean and healthy environment, the plaintiff’s alleged that Montana violated their constitutional rights. And a judge agreed. In a powerful 103 page ruling, Judge Kathy Seely outlined the facts about climate change and how Montana’s failure to consider greenhouse gas emissions when reviewing permits directly harmed the plaintiffs.

Environmental attorneys Tom Wheeler, Matt Simmons and Jen Marlow break down the case and its implications.

“The EcoNews Report,” Aug. 19, 2023.