Governor Kate Brown appeared on “Face The Nation” Sunday morning claiming the wildfires are a wake-up call and she intends to do everything in her power to tackle climate change. As she went through a list of devastated areas and her humanity visits, she took every effort to blame decades of mismanagement of forest and the failure to tackle climate change. “We need to do both. And we can,” she said.

President Trump agreed saying, “it is about forest management and other things.” His administration is closely coordinating with local leaders with 200,000 people working on it. He tweeted in 2018 that “billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!”

What Governor Brown neglected to mention is she has done nothing since 2018 to improve forest management. So, in a last-ditch effort, the Oregon Fire Marshal, Jim Walker, resigns after being put on leave. Was that an attempt by Governor Brown to shift the focus off of her?

Also lacking in her report are the numerous reports of arson. Multnomah County Sheriff responded Saturday to a brush fire in Corbett when neighbors called in hearing pops and saw six foot flames in the forest. Using a shovel and water they were able to put it out. Deputies found fireworks. Deputies are conducting high visibility patrols in rural Multnomah County.

Another individual reported hearing fireworks and looking out saw a random car fire bomb and a giant flash engulfed the neighbor’s house in flames. They were terrified for their house.

Sammy Scott was arrested in Oregon City for arson, probation violation and possessing body armor on Friday.

An Oregon City female resident also reported a man walking across her property with matches in his hand. She made him walk to the street at gun point and lay down until the police arrived.

Deputies reported another man arrested west of Eugene on arson allegations in a wildfire.

Chief Peterson said a middle-aged man with tattoos was spotted lighting two fires at Oregon State Park near the dam. The chief said “several good Samaritans extinguished the fire prior to our arrival.” He asked the public to be on the lookout for a man with a black German Shepherd driving a green Ford or Chevy SUV.

Anita Esquivel, 37, was arrested for starting fires on Highway 101 on Friday near the Oregon/California border. The number of fires was not released.

Michael Bakkela, 41, was arrested Friday charged with arson in connection with southern Oregon fires.

Jeffrey Alan Acord, 31, arrested for starting a fire on 167 recorded his own arrest on Facebook after calling in the fire. He had a prior arrest in Seattle in 2014 during a race riot for a concealed weapon without a permit and illegal fireworks.

U.S. Forest Service reports 14 confirmed intentional set fire spots all started between 1:00 am and 5:00 am Saturday morning. Climate change or coordinated effort? Why is Governor Brown trying to shift the evidence? We can be sure it will come up in the 2021 Legislative Session.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-09-14 08:34:24