Rachel Mooney was caught off guard when smoky air poured into her Tualatin home that she closed up as best as she could. So she improvised. She tucked damp towels in gaps around window and door frames to stop more airborne ash and chemicals from entering.

She positioned fans to blow the bad air into towels she hung in doorways and she swung damp towels around in rooms, like waving a flag, she says.

After a few days, I have hardly any smoke now," she says. It works.

Rachel Mooney hung damp towels to catch smoky air in her Tualatin apartment.Rachel Mooney

When fires spread across Oregon, people surrounded by flames were showered in powdery residue, and even those living miles away were breathing air filled with dangerous gases and fine particles from charred building materials and vegetation.

Health experts are advising all residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary, and to prevent harmful smoke from entering their homes.

Here is information on what more you can do to seal your home from smoke, rid indoor air and furnishings from the smell, and quickly make your yard more fire resistant. Wildfires will change the landscape of Oregons housing market: Real estate agents say an already low number of homes was just reduced by thousands.

Elizabeth Erekson thought her young family would be safe inside a newly constructed apartment in Sandy. But the gap between the front door and its frame, which annoyingly let in hot air all summer, was now a funnel directing smoke into her home.

She grabbed painters tape and duct tape, and sealed off the open spaces around doors and windows. She heard conflicting advice about turning on the air conditioner, so she taped a garage bag around the wall unit and didnt open a window.

She did run fans to keep the inside air flowing. Still, her eyes were stinging and her sinuses were burning.

We can smell the smoke, feel it on our faces and see it, she says. At night, when she turns off the room lights, her illuminated cell phone exposes clouds of particulates floating in the air.

Its eerie, weird, scary and stressful, she says.

Smoke made it hard for everyone in her family to breathe or sleep. On top of that, the neighbors carbon monoxide detector, triggered by wildfire smoke, beeped for days.

Experts say if pollutants are in the air, close any openings you can windows, outside doors, chimney flues and cover cracks that let air leak in. Turn off anything that draws in outside air, like a fresh air system, dryer or portable air conditioner with a hose vented out a window.

The biggest question we have been getting is, Should I run my central air conditioner? says Rachel Smith of Pyramid Heating + Cooling in Portland. Yes, you can run your A/C if it is not pulling air from outside. Just make sure to set the fan to on, rather than auto, to ensure the fan is constantly circulating and filtering air.

Energy Trust of Oregon experts recommend spending most of your time in a clean room without a fireplace or other openings to the outside, and keeping a portable air cleaner running constantly in that room.

Dust or mop surfaces with a damp cloth to collect settled particles.

Avoid activities that increase indoor pollution such as smoking, burning candles or firewood in the fireplace, boiling a pot of water on the stove with essential oils, or using a vacuum that doesnt have a high efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filter.

Check your heating filters daily and change or clean them when dirty. Once a filter is full, it no longer traps particulates.

Health experts and others recommend using only HEPA filters, which force air through a fine mesh and trap particles in central heating, ventilation, cooling and air (HVAC) systems.

You can create an air purifying filter by covering the front of a box fan with a HEPA furnace filter or one rated MERV-13 or higher. For safety, turn the fan off if you leave the house. Here are instructions to make a DIY air filter.

Indoor air quality monitors are designed to alert you to contaminants that affect the air you breathe so you can fix the problem.

To check the air quality in your area, visit IQair.com. Or visit the EPAs air quality website, airnow.gov, and type in your city or ZIP code. View interactive maps at the states web page, oregonsmoke.blogspot.com, or the EPAs web page, fire.airnow.gov.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also allows smartphone users to check air quality though an app that can be found by searching for OregonAir in the app store.

The air quality index has been frighteningly high across Oregon for more than a week.

Its been a journey, says Erekson. But its been pretty heartwarming to see our community come together to offer support, like a ride to a store or help with animals.

Tiny smoke particles stick to surfaces and embed in porous carpeting, furniture, books and even paint, according to experts at ServiceMaster, which specializes in restoring buildings after water, smoke or fire damage.

Jim Grant of ServiceMaster of Portland says smoke smell from a fire that burned natural materials should dissipate over time with good air flow and cleaning.

The company offers these tips to reducing a strong, pervasive odor:

When the air is fresh again, open doors and windows to draw in outside air, and remove screens to clean them. Point fans toward doorways, room corners and windows to push smells out of the house.

Another way to blow out lingering odor is to close all but one window and one exterior door, and put a large fan outside the exterior door. Then turn the fan on high speed for 15 minutes to force fresh air into the room and out the open window. Repeat in other rooms.

Fresh air will help reduce the smell but you also need to clean items and surfaces.

Wipe walls, ceilings, floors and other solid surfaces with a solution of dish soap, white vinegar and warm water to remove smoke particles. Smoke residue doesnt stick to glass, but it does to window frames, sills, screens and blinds.

Sprinkle baking soda on upholstery and carpet, wait a few hours to allow it to absorb the smoke smell, then collect the baking soda using a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

Wash clothes, towels and linens, and launder or dry clean curtains, area rugs, furniture covers, cushions and any other affected fabrics. Follow the manufacturers cleaning recommendations.

Dont store clean items in your home until it is completely free of smoke odor.

Firefighters set up a command post and staging ground on Ron Crowell's Ashland property during a fast-moving fire in 2015. Crowell was praised by the Battalion Chief from the Medford Fire Department for his vigilant mowing, tree trimming and keeping highly inflammable shrubbery away from the house.

Everyone has heard that they need to clear flammable debris away from their home to thwart or diminish a fire. And yet, when trees die, people often think they can wait until fall when preparing for winter storms," says arborist Lisa Tadewaldt of Urban Forest Pro in Portland. But these trees should be addressed earlier to avoid fire danger.

She says the goal is to reduce the opportunity for a slow smolder to turn into a real fire outside your home.

Make sure roofs and gutters are cleared of dead leaves and pine needles, and vents are screened with metal wire mesh no larger than an 1/8 inch to prevent materials from collecting.

Dont let debris accumulate around storage sheds, propane tanks or wood decks, and consider fire-resistant alternatives for wood fences, outdoor furniture and play sets.

No plant is fireproof, but many are more difficult to ignite. OSU Extension has a free guide, Fire-resistant Landscapes Plants for the Willamette Valley, of recommended ground covers, perennials, shrubs and trees with moist, supple leaves and water-like sap.

Old trees are more resilient to damage from wildfires and, if pruned, can act as a living wall that reduces fires intense heat and blocks airborne embers, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.

To prevent a ground fire from climbing and spreading, remove branches that hang over a house and low branches that are less than six to 10 feet above the ground. Leave 30 feet between a group of two to three trees or 20 feet between lone trees. Remove small conifers growing between mature trees.

Cut dry, brown grass and shrubs, which are also fuel for wildfires.

Experts also recommend that you create a fire break with driveways, gravel paths and green lawns, and make sure your address numbers are clearly visible to emergency responders trying to find you.

Burning embers can travel great distances and the steps you take now to create a defensible space around your property can minimize fire risks, says Tadewaldt.

A mobile home in Medford that Terry Rasmussen of John L. Scott Real Estate listed two weeks for $85,000 went pending this week for $25,000 more after a bidding war.John L. Scott Real Estate

Terry Rasmussen in John L. Scott Real Estates Medford office says everyone, especially those in the process of buying or selling a home, has been impacted by Oregons fires. In his part of southern Oregon, the Almeda fire alone destroyed more than 2,000 residential structures.

The market was already starved for inventory even before the fire, says Rasmussen. Thousands of people have been displaced; many were living on low or fixed incomes in mobile home parks.

Areas devastated by wildfires in the past saw prices of homes temporarily drop as sites were cleared and rebuilding construction was underway. The cost to rebuild later resulted in higher asking prices, according to real estate experts.

At the same time, home prices and rents rose in unaffected areas as people relocated there.

I see a lot of pain, but heres what I know about southern Oregon, we will come together, says Rasmussen. Builders who have competed for years are working together and real estate agents are searching for rentals for people without a home.

Rasmussens clients represent the range of change:

Whitney Minnich of John L. Scotts Oregon City office says real estate transactions that were able to continue during the coronavirus pandemic are being delayed due to the fires.

Lenders require mortgaged homes to have insurance and many insurance companies have placed a moratorium on fire affected areas.

Lenders are also ordering a re-inspection of a property to make sure the home is still standing and some stopped funding federal Freddie Mac loans after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stepped in to help hard-hit Oregon counties.

Homeowners who were undecided about selling may wait, says Minnich, but people who have to sell, will. We already have an inventory problem and fires only compounded the issue, she says.

Rasmussen, working on the other end of the state, agrees.

People are desperate for housing," he says. A mobile home in Medford that he listed two weeks ago for $85,000 went pending this week for $25,000 more after a bidding war.

If you put your house on the market, it will be swallowed up, he says, unless you ask a ridiculous price.

People who want to rebuild are also facing a scarcity of building supplies that had already skyrocketed in costs. On top of the cost going up, it takes years to rebuild a couple thousand homes, he says.

Rasmussen and Minnich both fear that the housing lost to fire that was affordable will be lost forever.

Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

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U.S. Rep. Greg Walden says the Federal Emergency Management Agency is now on the ground in Oregon to help the thousands of people impacted by the massive wildfires that are still burning across the state.

He said state officials have plenty of federal money to immediately provide free hotels rooms or apartments to every family displaced from their homes.

Walden, a Republican from Hood River, represents most of eastern and southern Oregon, including the fire-decimated communities of Phoenix and Talent.

In a conference call with the press Wednesday morning, he encouraged anyone adversely affected by the wildfires to register with the federal agency by calling 1-800-621-3362 or going online to DisasterAssistance.gov.

The sooner they do that the sooner theyre in the queue and can move forward, he said. Then FEMA will reach out and begin providing assistance.

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden met with FEMA officials about assistance to Oregon. (The Oregonian)

Walden said hes pleased the president moved so rapidly to approve the governors request for an emergency declaration of this magnitude, freeing up resources for those affected.

He added the state has a housing plan for those who lost homes to the fires. People should call 2-1-1 to get free housing. But he said registering with FEMA is key.

FEMA, with the help of state officials, has identified and catalogued available housing in the state, including hotel rooms and apartments. They have that list, so going through FEMA is the best way to get access to housing, Walden said.

But he noted that the supply of available housing will be tight in some areas, particularly southern Oregon.

In the Phoenix and Talent areas, about 2,700 homes were destroyed, Walden said. Just 400 new housing units were built in all of Jackson County in 2019, he said. Now families need almost seven times that many new homes.

A sign that reads "Heart broken" is displayed in front of a destroyed vehicle at Coleman Creek Estates mobile home park in Phoenix, Ore. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)AP

The congressman said hes heard that a rumor is circulating about housing vouchers being necessary to access temporary housing.

Theres no such thing as housing vouchers, he said. This is all taken care of without that [when people register with FEMA].

The money is there, he added. No one should be sleeping in their car. Lack of resources is not an issue.

Walden expects the federal response will be swift and significant thanks to President Donald Trumps major disaster declaration on Tuesday. He says the U.S Army Corps of Engineers is already on the scene.

Youll see an increased presence of federal disaster-assistance personnel in the state, he said.

Walden joined U.S. senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and fellow U.S representatives Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici in a statement Wednesday morning announcing the disaster declaration.

The damage from the wildfires across Oregon is catastrophic, and the scale of the recovery is beyond the capabilities of the state, DeFazio, a Democrat from Lane County, said in the statement. Im grateful for the White Houses swift action in declaring a major disaster.

Merkley, also a Democrat, added that he had driven over 600 miles from Portland to Medford and back -- meeting with first responders, talking to people who have suffered terrible loss, witnessing unimaginable devastation. Its clear that our state is going to need an unprecedented amount of support in our response and recovery.

In his virtual press conference, Walden said he has visited the southern Oregon towns of Phoenix and Talent and seen the burned-out buildings, the lots with nothing left standing, the mobile homes reduced essentially to cinders.

I think people are still in a state of shock and disbelief, he said. The fire was so hot and vicious. Theres not a lot left behind.

He added that, during a meeting Wednesday morning with FEMA officials, he recommended that they come down to southern Oregon in particular, given the scale of home losses there.

People are going to be displaced for some time, he acknowledged.

The good news, he added, is this [federal assistance] system will start to work right away now that we have the national disaster [declaration] in place.

-- Douglas Perry

dperry@oregonian.com

@douglasmperry

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Greg Walden says Oregonians in shock from Oregon wildfire devastation but federal response will make differ - OregonLive

Heartbreak and devastation: Residents begin to venture out

There was little standing water along Nine Mile Road, but debris littered the area and surrounding residential roads. Signs above businesses were twisted and shredded like sheets of paper, and along thoroughfares like Chemstrand and Roberts roads lines of cars took turns navigating around downed trees and dangling powerlines.

In Cantonment, residents of the Bristol Park area saw a heartbreaking repeat of flooding that devasted the area in 2014. The Escambia County Sheriffs Office, National Guard and Escambia County Fire Rescue spent much of the morning using high water vehicles to rescue people in homes in area.

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Nearby, emergency responders blocked off access to Highway 297-A near Corral Drive and Ashbury Lane. A small lake had formed just outside at the nearby Ashbury Hills neighborhood, forcing commuters hoping to check on their loved ones and properties to find another way home.

Brandon Anderson, a resident of the Oak Lodge Mobile Home Park, brought out chainsaws Wednesday morning to help take a part massive trees blocking the entrance to the park on Lillian Highway.

Soon, he had more than a dozen neighbors helping the effort.

Thankfully they just came out and and started joining us, Anderson said.

During the worst of the storm, Anderson said he saw flashes of light, what he thought to be power lines snapping.

I felt my house shaking. Theres a lot of light blasts, its a little scary, he said.

He said his home sustained no serious damage, unlike many of his other neighbors, one of which had a tree land on their home.

Kenneth McElory said he woke up at 4 a.m. to screaming winds and green flashes of light around his house.

The next thing he knew, a massive tree fell into his living room.

Another tree fell on his car before he could escape.

To provide our community with important public safety information, our newsroom is making stories related to Hurricane Sally free to read. To support important local journalism like this, please consider becoming a digital subscriber.

McElroy said that besides feeling homelesss, he was optimistic that things would get better - someday, if not today.

You cant get down on yourself, it willmake it worse, he said. At least everybody is accounted for.

McElroy said that despite the tragedies that seem to be piling upon top of each other in 2020, he has hope.

A pandemic, and a hurricane, whats next? he said. Sunny days and good times.

The neighborhood surrounding Lillian Highway had many trees down and blocked roads Wednesday as well as no power.

Lillian Food Mart, a convenience store in the neighborhood, did open despite having no power. Dozens lined up to get snacks, drinks and ice.

One of those was Austin Jordan, who said he came out Wednesday morning looking for food. He said he wasnt prepared for the storm because he didnt know how bad it would be.

He said he heard loud banging and wind howling, but his home sustained minimal damage.

Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is reporting that 60% of its water wells are down from Hurricane Sally.

ECUA Executive Director Bruce Woody said a morning press conference that water customers may see lower water pressure.

Water has been cut off to Pensacola Beach after a water main to Santa Rosa Island broke.

Woody didnt have an estimate for when water service would be restored.

No boil water notices have been issued yet.

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said there are unconfirmed reports that a section of Three Mile Bridge is missing. He is warning all residents to stay away from the bridge at this time.

Photographs posted on social media are showing damage to the surface of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. The images indicate a crane fell on the bridge and knocked away a section of the road way.

The Florida Department of Transportation said it has been unable to assess any possible damage to the bridge due to ongoing high winds. A spokesperson for the department said crews will be dispatched to assess the situation once conditions are safer.

Flooding in downtown Pensacola, Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020. This was filmed on Jefferson at the Holiday Inn Express and Pensacola Little Theatre. Cars are almost completely submerged. People are standing on the hotel porch trapped. Pensacola News Journal

Much of downtown Pensacola was underwater Wednesday morning, with floodwaters turning streets into white-capped rivers and downed trees bookending Palafox Street.

Downtown was mostly empty, save for police officers and a few brave onlookers.

Nick Zangari, owner of New York Nicks Badlands bar, was sitting in the doorway of his dark, empty bar on Palafox looking out into the street. Zangari has been at the bar since Monday, saying he wanted to keep an eye on his building. But he didnt expect things to get as bad as they did overnight Tuesday.

I have a generator, AC unit, everything back at home (in Tiger Point), he said. But I didnt think Id need it.

On the 16th anniversary to the day of Hurricane Ivan, Zangari said Ivan may have been strong than Sally, but it packed more of a punch because it was so unexpectedly strong.

With Ivan we were more prepared, because it was coming right for us, he said. Nobody thought this was coming for us, and we didnt think it would be this strong.

A few blocks down, on Jefferson Street, floodwaters were submerging cars around the Holiday Inn Express and Pensacola Little Theatre. The floodwaters looked more like the Gulf of Mexico as winds tossed the water around.

People could be seen standing on the porch of the hotel, trapped and looking out over the water that used to be a parking lot.

The city of Gulf Breeze is reporting a water main break somewhere within city limits and citing an "immediate need" for citizens to conserve drinking water.

Escambia County Fire Rescue, National Guard and the Sheriffs Office are actively working on water rescues and life saving measures in the Bristol Park and Woods area that has 269 homes. We are working with FEMA, Urban Search & Rescue and engaging the Coast Guard.

Santa County officials are getting their first images of devastation caused by Hurricane Sally and it's every bit as bad as predicted.Emergency vehicles are only responding to high water calls, due to the high wind and the excessive rain.

"We are starting to see the impacts of the heavier eyewall cells that are coming through," wrote Santa Rosa Public Safety Director Brad Baker. "We are seeing higher winds and heavier rainfall than we've seen in the last few hours."

The county is reporting roadways flooding andmore tree and power lines down and requests residents to stay home.

"If you are home, we are having some increased water levels in the Bay area, so if you are trapped in your house and the water is rising, please call 911," Baker said. "Other than that we ask you to please stay home."

President Donald Trump has approved federal emergency aid for 13 Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Sally.

The authorization clears the release of personnel, resources and funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct federal assistance under the Public Assistance program, will be provided at 75% federal funding. This assistance is for Bay, Escambia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties.

Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75% federal funding. This assistance is for Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson and Liberty counties.

According to FEMA, Category B emergency protective measures are actions taken by a community before, during and following a disaster to save lives, protect public health and safety, or eliminate immediate threat of significant damage to improved public and private property through cost effective measures.

Jeffrey L. Coleman has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected area.

National Weather Service inMobile reporteda trained spotter estimated 30 inches of rain in NorthwestPensacola. NAS Pensacola recorded 24.8 inches of rain and wind gusts up to 92 miles per hour.

NWS reports5.5 feet of storm surge in Pensacola Bay and two hours of high tide are ahead of us. Penascola is getting the worst of the surge.

Jimmy Patronis,Florida's chief financial officer andstate fire marshal, announced Wednesday morning that he has deployed three urban search and rescue teams to respond to widespread flooding in our area. Patronis said he will also be headed to our region this morning to meet with emergency response officials and determine what type of support they need.

East Pensacola Heights gets hammered with heavy rain and wind as Hurricane Sally hits Pensacola. Pensacola News Journal

Hurricane Sally made landfall this morning just west of the Florida/Alabama line as a Category 2 with 105 mph winds.

This put Pensacola in the eastern eye-wall, the strongest part of the storm, according to an advisory fromEscambia County's emergency manager to the Santa Rosa Island Authority. In addition, the next strongest rain/wind band has set up over Okaloosa and Walton counties.

A Flash Flood Emergency is ongoing from Pensacola to Ft. Walton Beach. Historic river flooding will also occur over the next couple of days.

Conditions will remain unchanged this morning due to the slow movement of the storm. It will likely be around 1 p.m. before we begin to see some weakening of winds and rain bands as the center of Sally moves into southern Alabama.

The south and west side of the storm is considerably weaker,howeverintermittent heavy rain bands, a few tornadoesand tropical storm force wind gusts will continue into this evening in the eastern Panhandle and western Big Bend.

There is widespread flooding and debris on roads across the area. Citizens are advised to remain in place and to stay off the roads as much as possible.

Interstate 10, eastbound and westbound, at the Escambia Bay Bridge is closed due to high sustained winds. The Three Mile Bridge, Theo Baars Bridgeand theLillian Bridgeremains closed as well, according to the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.

Gulf Power reported just before 6:30 a.m. that 72 percent of the household accounts in Escambia County were without power as rain and wind continued to hammer the Pensacola area. As of 6:30 a.m., 115,377 homes were without power.

Live: Power outage map

Pensacola is expected to get raked by Hurricane Sallys eyewall over the next several early morning hours, bringing unprecedented amounts of rain and Category 2-strength winds to the already battered western Florida Panhandle.

The slow-moving storm, which reportedly made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama just after5 a.m. Wednesday, surprised forecasters by strengthening into a very strong Category 2 storm overnight, with winds at 110 miles per hour just one mile per hour away from being a Category 3 major hurricane.

It got really close to a Category 3, said Dave Eversole, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile. Were hoping that we see actual landfall probably somewhere along the Baldwin coast here around sunrise, and that would keep (Pensacola) in or very close to the eyewall for at least a few more hours.

Hurricane Sally is seen in this satellite image as of Wednesday morning at 5 a.m.(Photo: NOAA)

Part of the eye came ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama just before 5 a.m.

Rainfall reports in Pensacola topped 18.25 inches as of 1 a.m., prompting a rare flash flood emergency warning from the National Weather Service.

Flash flood emergency is a rare (warning) issued by the NWS, its when we have a flash flood that is posing a significant risk to lives and property, Eversole said. That means theres people out there literally pulling people out of homes and rescuing people out of cars. Its right along with a tornado emergency, its one of our two most serious warnings.

There were several tornado warnings issued from Escambia to Bay Counties overnight Tuesday, although there have been no confirmed tornadoes yet. That is expected to change in the morning as people are able to leave their homes and assess damage.

The Pensacola Police Department tweeted at 1:48 a.m. that there are too many road issues to count.

Flooded roadways and intersections, along with hazardous debris in roadways (locations) have become too numerous to list, PPD said. Please stay off the roadways now. If you lose electricity and have a generator, do not place it inside, near an open window or in a garage. This can be deadly.

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Parts of downtown Pensacola are flooding as well. Videos posted to social media show East Main Street by the Holiday Inn Express turned into a river, and Mike Wood with PPD said floodwaters are beginning to creep up Palafox Street.

Im with The Weather Channel, they were set up at Palafox Pier but that's now flooding, Wood said. Its making its way up Palafox now. Its nothing major yet, but theres a lot of high winds and rain right now.

All bridges in the area are closed due to high sustained winds, including the Three Mile Bride, Garcon Point Bridge and Navarre Beach Causeway.

Sallys path and landfall is eerily similar to Hurricane Ivans, which made landfall on the same day Sept. 16 in 2004, 16 years ago, in nearly the exact same place that Sally is projected to land. Ivan was a stronger Category 3 storm and devastated the area.

Even after the eyewall passes, Pensacola is still slated to receive torrential amounts of rain as the system makes a very slow crawl to the north/northeast.

Tevin Wooten, an on-air meteorologist with The Weather Channel, compared Sallys speed to that of a turtle as he battled the 2 mile per hour storm from Navarre.

A turtle swims at about 10 to 12 miles per hour. Turtles crawl, or walk if you will, between 3 and 4 miles per hour, he said. So Sally, quite literally, is moving at a turtles pace, if not slower.

Sally has been an unusual storm due in part to the uncertainty in her path and intensity. She was originally forecast to make landfall near New Orleans, then Mississippi, then Mobile Bay, and now, finally, shes partially come ashore near Gulf Shores and is expected to completely come ashore around Baldwin County.

Annie Blanks can be reached at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.

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Heartbreak and devastation in Pensacola after Sally: Residents begin to venture out - Pensacola News Journal

Howard

LUMBERTON Two Lumberton City Council members walked out of Wednesdays special called meeting after one of them claimed racism was the reason the governing panel voted to deny a rezoning request.

After Council voted 4-3 against approving the request made by Moss Neck Trust regarding a property on Hornets Road, a second motion was made to officially deny the request, at which time John Cantey said he felt racism was the reason for the councils action.

Over this past year, in 2020, this council has systematically set back the people here in the City of Lumberton, Cantey said. This council has systematically voted nay, 4-4, broken ties by the mayor, that its almost on the borderline of racism.

Cantey, one of three African American council members, cited a previous vote to deny housing in East Lumberton, a vote against the wishes of the people concerning a cell tower in South Lumberton and a vote against allowing an African American individual to remain on the Airport Commission.

As long as this council is going to be split, it only hurts the citizens of this city, Cantey said. Until somebody calls this council out on it, it will never stop.

After Canteys comments, Councilman Leroy Rising said his vote had nothing to do with the issues raised by Cantey.

I want to go on the record and say it has nothing to do with racism, Rising said. It has to do with drainage, thats a big factor in Lumberton, and lot size. And I would encourage anyone to bring a development with R11 (zoning) or larger, that would create quite a better situation for Lumberton and the future of Lumberton.

After Cantey and Councilman Chris Howard left the meeting, the vote to deny the request passed 6-1. City Clerk Laney Mitchell-McIntosh, citing procedural rules, said Cantey and Howard would be recorded as having voted in favor of denying the rezoning request because they left the meeting without being excused.

On the first motion, Cantey, Howard and Melissa Robinson voted to approve the request. Rising, John Carroll, Karen Higley and Owen Thomas cast no votes. Robinson was the lone no vote on the second motion. Councilman Eric Chavis, whose absence was excused, was not at the meeting.

Moss Neck Trust requested the property be rezoned as R6-residential so a subdivision of class-A manufactured housing could be developed.

Carroll said when making the motion to deny the request that the citys Planning Board had unanimously recommended the council not approve the request because of drainage issues on the property.

Its not that Im opposed to the development, Carroll said. I just think we need more time, and if they want to bring it back they can address some issues we have, and maybe wed be willing to look into it.

Drainage concerns were raised by Rising during the Sept. 9 regular meeting when the rezoning request was first brought before Council. The issue was tabled until Wednesdays special called meeting.

Earlier in Wednesdays meeting, Cantey said he felt an accurate assessment on drainage couldnt be determined without a hydraulic study.

That is normally something that happens later in the process, during the subdivision planning phase, City Attorney Holt Moore said.

Rising also raised concerns about the lack of a conditional use permit containing the conditions stated by Moss Neck Trust in their request. The rezoning request included conditions that all units would be new class-A manufactured homes, all would have concrete footings and brick foundations, all lots would be a minimum of 8,000 square feet in size and there would be no more than four lots per acre.

The normal requirements for R6 zoning, which is designed to allow mobile homes, include less square footage per lot, more lots per acre allowed and homes built as long ago as 1976.

Rising and Carroll questioned what would happen to the zoning if for any reason Moss Neck Trust didnt follow through with the project. They asked if the property would then be available for any potential use allowed in an R6 zoning district.

Moore said other potential uses of R6 would be allowed, but the conditions regarding lot size, foundations and the density of lots would be passed on to future owners of the property.

Cantey at that point acknowledged the drainage concerns, but he and Robinson both said providing Lumberton residents still displaced after hurricanes Matthew and Florence took precedence.

I dont want to see us in the paper again denying the residents of the City of Lumberton a place to live, Cantey said. If weve got to get out here and find some grants to fix the drainage or borrow some money, thats what we need to do, but its been four years (since Hurricane Matthew) and we still have people not in their homes. Right now, our residents need a place to live and a place to start rebuilding with their families.

Ive spoken with residents who are still displaced, Robinson said just before making the motion to approve the request. I think this will help address the housing shortage for affordable homes for people who are displaced. I understand about drainage and appreciate the information weve received from the Public Works Department. But I think this housing is what we need right now.

City Manager Wayne Horne said there are more than 200 homes being built in Lumberton at various locations, including a pair of 72-unit housing developments.

Moore said after the meeting there are no official sanctions or repercussions that can be levied against Cantey or Howard for leaving the meeting unexcused, other than their votes being counted as positive by default.

The rezoning request was the only item on Wednesdays agenda.

Chris Stiles can be reached at 910-816-1977 or by email at [emailprotected]

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Cantey says racism behind Lumberton City Councils halting of housing project - The Robesonian

By Faye Gaston

Joyce L. Perrin, Vice Chairman of the Union Springs Planning Commission, provided in-depth public comments regarding the petitions for "conditional use" of mobile homes in the City of Union Springs.

Her complete written explanation was included in the minutes of the August 3, 2020, public hearing. She explained how mobile homes affect property values and tax bases. Perrin has been a resident of Union Springs for eighteen years. She has served on the Union Springs Planning Commission for several years and attended classes concerning the duties of members of the Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission decided the 1996 Comprehensive Plan needed updating. So a new in-depth Comprehensive Plan was developed.

In 2012 Auburn University assisted in the planning. Public meetings were held. The first ones were conducted by Auburn University (Downtown Revitalization) and later ones by SCACA (Comprehensive Plan).

All were well attended by the public. Most concerns expressed were about run-down stick-built homes and mobile homes. Mixing these structures caused concern for lowering property appraisals when sales and taxes occurred.

There was the cost of removing metal/mobile home structures once their life expectancy was complete. The Comprehensive Plan was completed between 2012-2014 with SCADC assistance.

The Planning Commission spent weeks holding public meetings during the zoning map changes. The new zoning map was evaluated with SCADA (state agency).

Three active mobile home parks were located in the city and these were designated as the proper place for mobile homes to create "like property" appraisals. The other alternative was to prohibit mobile homes in the city. It was understood that all mobile homes would be located in these three mobile home parks or outside the city limits.

It was never intended to consider a "conditional use" of mobile homes in the city, nor mixing stick-built homes and mobile homes in zoning areas of R3, R2, or R1 housing.

These presently petitioning for "conditional use" of mobile homes have not attempted to secure placement in a local mobile home park or secure a lot outside the city limits.

Perrin feels she must follow the directives of city residents during the planning meetings for the Comprehensive Plan. If these petitions for "conditional use" continue, she feels compelled to make a motion to amend city ordinances to not allow mobile homes in the city limits, "as this is done in many incorporated cities due to loss of tax base and lower property values."

Perrin said before she moved to Union Springs, she had lived in mobile homes for over twenty years, both old and new, in cities and un-zoned counties.

It was understood that by local city zoning commissions you would locate your mobile home in a mobile home subdivision or mobile park so that stick home values would not diminish.

She gave a personal history of being an Appraiser, Broker, Auctioneer, and Developer in the business of Real Estate. She gave examples of her work in these areas in the City of Guntersville, Alabama. Joyce Perrin is the owner of Promiseland Realty & Development located at 126 Prairie Street in downtown Union Springs.

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Perrin explained the effects of mobile homes in Union Springs - Union Springs Herald

Firefighters watch as flames tower over their truck Wednesday at the Bear Fire in Oroville, Calif. The 2020 fire season is off to a staggering start, far outpacing last year. Josh Edelson /AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Firefighters watch as flames tower over their truck Wednesday at the Bear Fire in Oroville, Calif. The 2020 fire season is off to a staggering start, far outpacing last year.

Updated at 10:27 p.m. ET

Intense wildfires are ravaging large swaths of the West Coast, prompting thousands of people to flee parts of Oregon and forcing power outages in California, where fires have already burned a record of more than 2.3 million acres this year. Fires are burning from Washington state to Southern California.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said on Wednesday afternoon that 35 fires are burning more than 300,000 acres across the state, and even places that are not currently burning face the worst fire conditions in three decades.

"Our number-one priority right now is saving lives," Brown said. "This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state's history."

The Marion County Sheriff's Office has confirmed two deaths linked to the wildfires.

The Salem Statesman Journal reports that the victims were a 13-year-old boy and his 71-year-old grandmother. The boy's mother survived but was hospitalized in critical condition.

Brown said that several towns Detroit, Blue River, Vida, Phoenix and Talent are "substantially destroyed." Hundreds of homes were lost, she added.

And in Washington state on Wednesday, the commissioner of public lands said that a small child had died in the Cold Springs Fire. According to KXLY-TV, the 1-year-old was killed as his family tried to flee from the fire.

The Cold Springs Fire has burned more than 163,000 acres since Sunday evening, prompting mass evacuations and road closures.

In southern Oregon, people in parts of Medford, Talent and nearby communities were ordered to evacuate the area immediately Tuesday, with officials citing the imminent threat of fast-moving fires. The entire town of Phoenix which has several thousand people was told to leave.

"I heard popping and houses blowing up and on fire," Bear Creek Mobile Home Park resident Edward Hancock said as he described the scene just outside Ashland to reporter April Ehrlich of Jefferson Public Radio. Hancock and several neighbors eventually made it to a temporary evacuation center at the county fairgrounds.

Ehrlich, who lives in Talent, said she fled her house and went to a friend's place in Medford only to have that area also fall under evacuation orders. Early Wednesday, she said via Twitter that "there's a good chance my house is gone."

Deputies in Clackamas County, southeast of Portland, spent the night going door to door to make sure residents knew they had to get out, the county sheriff's office said. One fire in the area was sparked "when an RV pulling a Jeep south was emitting sparks and caught fire. The RV pulled over and it started the brush fire," the sheriff's office said.

Across the region, 15 new large wildfires were reported on Monday alone, the National Interagency Fire Center said. That makes at least 87 large fires, which have burned more than 2.7 million acres. Even in places where flames haven't reached, massive amounts of smoke have filled the sky, making it difficult to breathe.

"Foresters and meteorologists say they're seeing unprecedented fire behavior, with blazes traveling dozens of miles in just hours," Raquel Maria Dillon of NPR member station KQED reported.

"Near Big Sur, flames jumped a containment line and overtook more than a dozen firefighters Tuesday," Dillon said. "One is in critical condition. On the other side of the state in the Sierra Nevada, military helicopters rescued hundreds of backpackers and campers."

A community of forest homes lies in ruins Tuesday in the Meadow Lakes area after the Creek Fire swept through near Shaver Lake, Calif. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption

A community of forest homes lies in ruins Tuesday in the Meadow Lakes area after the Creek Fire swept through near Shaver Lake, Calif.

The 2020 fire season is off to a staggering start, far outpacing last year. By the end of the first week of September 2019, California had seen fewer than 5,000 fires, which burned nearly 118,000 acres. By the same point this year, the state recorded more than 7,600 fires and roughly 2.3 million acres burned, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

The fires have been stoked by a recent heat wave and propelled by strong winds. In many places, even a small blaze can find plentiful fuel dry timber, grass and brush officials said, pleading with people to avoid any activities that could create a spark or flame.

A blast of cold air may reduce the risks in some inland areas, but along the coast, it's adding to the problems.

"Strong winds on the western side of the winter storm have brought dangerous and life-threatening fire weather conditions to large portions of [the] western U.S.," the National Weather Service said, "from the desert Southwest, through the Great Basin, much of California into the Pacific Northwest."

The dangerous winds could start to diminish across the coastal area by Thursday, the weather service said.

A critical or elevated fire weather threat persists in many of those places, with red flag warnings along most of the Western coastline and nearby areas on Wednesday.

Smoke from the fires caused eerie orange and hazy skies in San Francisco, the Bay Area and nearby regions Wednesday morning, repeating scenes that have been recorded as far north as Bellingham, Wash., earlier this week.

Many of the largest fires are burning along the Cascade mountain range or, further south, along the Sierra Nevada mountains. But smoke from those fires is now shrouding communities along the coast in haze, as wind patterns funnel the smoke to the west and south.

"There's an elongated low pressure system along the West Coast driving this," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

For weeks, parts of the Inland Northwest have been seeing consistently smoky skies. But thanks to the shift in the winds, many of those regions are now seeing blue skies.

"An amazing sight after at least a month of near steady dense smoke and haze," NPR's Kirk Siegler said, posting an image of the sky in Boise, Idaho, Tuesday.

Pacific Gas & Electric has shut off power in parts of Northern and central California in hopes of reducing the chance that its power lines could trigger a wildfire.

"PG&E's shutoffs have affected 170,000 homes and businesses from California wine country to the Sierra Nevada mountains," KQED's Lily Jamali reported.

Such extreme measures are a last resort, the utility said.

"PG&E set up 50 community resource centers for customers, especially those needing power for medical equipment," Jamali said. "But the utility has shut down three of them so far because of the fires ravaging the state."

The U.S. Forest Service has closed campgrounds in all national forests in California, citing the deadly risks of "extreme fire behavior" and firefighting resources that are already stretched thin.

Excerpt from:
'I Heard Popping And Houses Blowing Up': Deadly Wildfires Rage On West Coast - NPR

A 28-year-old man who targeted elderly victims in carrying out a string of residential and commercial break-ins throughout the Coachella Valley was sentenced to more than 17 years in state prison, prosecutors said today.

Joseph Foster Ramey of Palm Desert pleaded guilty earlier this year to 22 burglary counts, along with identity theft, vehicle theft, and receiving stolen property charges.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Burke Strunsky handed down the 17-year, four-month sentence Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Ramey was arrested July 17, 2018, and was initially accused in a series of residential break-ins in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Thousand Palms, as well as eight storage unit burglaries at Storquest Self Storage in Palm Springs.

He was later charged with several other home burglaries, mostly in Palm Springs, during which he took jewelry, credit cards, checkbooks and other items, including a handgun recovered by police during the arrest of a family member who tossed the weapon onto a roof during an unrelated assault case, according to court papers.

Many of the burglaries targeted elderly victims, often when they were inside their homes and asleep, records show.

One of the burglary counts stemmed from a July 13, 2018 break-in at the Palm Springs Mobile Home Park, where he broke into a residence around 3:30 a.m., barricaded the 86-year-old resident inside her bedroom by blocking the door with furniture and made off with several items. Ramey's fingerprints were discovered inside the mobile home, according to court papers.

Read more from the original source:
Coachella Valley serial burglar sentenced to more than 17 years - KESQ

An age-restricted mobile-home community moved one step closer to reality this week when the Pierson Town Council gave second and final approval to rezoning two large parcels next to the new elementary school on the north side of town.

The parcels totalling about 158 acres border the school site on the south and north. The land is owned by Samuel Bennett, a Pierson fern grower and businessman who also is the Town Council chairman. He abstained from the vote.

A parcel of approximately five acres fronting U.S. 17 south of the school remains zoned for future General Retail Commercial use.

Ive put a lot of time and effort into this, but I think it will be a good addition to the town, Bennett told The West Volusia Beacon several days before the vote. We are having a lot of growth in Pierson, but at a slower pace than other areas.

Before the rezoning, the land was designated for mostly agricultural and conservation uses, with a portion zoned for low-density estate residences. It now has MH-1 (Medium Density Mobile Home) zoning.

The rezoning is just the first hurdle in making the community a reality. Bennett said construction plans still have to be approved by the towns Planning Commission and the Town Council before any work could begin.

I would hope this would continue to move right along, he said.

According to Bennett and an analysis by the towns planner, Mark Karet, the community of 400 units will be restricted to residents 55 years of age and older and will include supporting amenities. The sites will be primarily for rent to residents who provide their own homes, but Bennett said he may install some manufactured homes to sell.

Plans call for the project to be built in phases, with 10 to 20 sites in the first phase, along with streets, city water and individual septic tanks, Bennett said.

According to Karets report, most of the 158-acre site is uplands and not in the 100-year flood plain.

Most of these uplands consist of pine flatwoods that have been periodically harvested in the past, the report says. The site does contain approximately 56 acres of wetlands. The regulatory agencies will require avoidance and minimization of development impacts to these wetlands either by eliminating impacts altogether or by limiting the degree of impacts as much as possible. The applicant [Bennett] will be required to maintain upland buffers along the perimeter of the wetlands to avoid secondary impacts to the wetlands.

Karet also pointed out that the community would have a positive effect on the towns economy.

The Town of Pierson is in need of new housing that will support existing businesses, the report says. The residences of this community will be over 55 years of age. In general this demographic tends to have higher disposable incomes than younger residents.

Bennett doesnt yet have a developer lined up to build the community, nor does he have any plans to develop the commercial section.

Im not looking to do anything with [the commercial portion], but its available if anyone does want to use it, he said.

Read more:
Pierson to get mobile-home community for those age 55-plus - The West Volusia Beacon

By Faye Gaston

The Union Springs Planning Commission met for a public hearing on August 3, 2020, VIA Phone Conference facilitated by City Attorney, Elizabeth Smithart.

Brian Agnew, Chairman, made comments prior to the Public Hearing: "In 2012 the City of Union Springs went through expensive and necessary public meetings to review the zoning ordinance and rezone and create new zoning for the betterment of the city.

"The new zoning ordinance limits manufactured homes (mobile homes), in the city. Mobile homes do not increase the value of property.

"When a mobile home is placed next to or near a stick-built home, the property values go down. There is value in owning a stick-built home."

The public hearing was about placing mobile homes on seven locations in the city. Speaking in opposition were Henry Brown regarding a mobile home on 204 Holcombe Avenue East, Jacqueline Patterson about 131 Seale Avenue, and Willye Nance about Johnson Street. No one spoke in opposition to placing a mobile home on 111 Montgomery Avenue, 161 Rayfield Street, 905 Johnson Street, or 406 Waugh Street.

The extended remarks from Willye Nance stated that the original zoning for the neighborhood (Johnson Street) is R-3-Multifamily Residential for high population densities-apartments, boarding houses, condominiums. Mobile homes are not included in the scope of the zoning ordinance as it is written.

They are provided for in the ordinance addressing manufactured homes. He gave quotes from the zoning ordinance and the Comprehensive Plan and stated his views. He said a mobile home would change the neighborhood from its original character and decrease the value of properties.

"I've observed that more and more mobile homes are being placed on lots contrary to zoning ordinances, giving many areas the look of large, mobile home parks. Even now, the areas along Tye Street, which dissect with the street where my property is, there are scatterings of mobile homes.

"The neighborhood is slowly losing its character. If this trend continues, the approval of Conditional Use Requests, will eventually make the R3 zoning ordinance null and void. I don't want that to happen in the neighborhood where my property is located. This would include Thomas, Tye, Johnson, and Locke Streets. I think existing zoning ordinances and the vision stated in the Comprehensive Plan should be strictly followed."

Speaking in favor of placing mobile homes as requested were Felicia Hudson, Lucy Bailey, Peggy Pitts, Shamika Smith, Svetlana Mack, Kennedy Mack, Andre Miles, Kaleah Miles, and Judy Glaze.

Members of the Planning Commission who were present VIA phone conference were: Bryan Agnew, Chr; Joyce Perrin, Co-Chr; Presetta Walker, Secretary; Mayor Saint T. Thomas, Jr., Carla Elston and Gary Hyche. Members absent were: Larry Stewart, Charlotte Phillips, and Peggy Goodwin.

The Public Hearing ended, immediately followed by the Planning Commission's meeting with a roll call vote regarding granting the requests.

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Public Hearing conducted by Planning Commission | News - Union Springs Herald

The following Q&A comes from a recent interview with the Crawford/Hubbell family, who own the El Jebel area under Crawford Properties, LLC. Participating in the discussion were Adele Hubbell (the daughter of Floyd Crawford and widow of Carl Hubbell) and her two sons, Robert Hubbell and Prentice Hubbell.

Sopris Sun: The first question many people ask is Where does the name El Jebel come from?

Adele: The name was given by an earlier owner of the 1280 acre property Henry Gillespie. The name changed to the El Jebel Shrine in 1888 and is home to the Shriners fraternity which has included Arabic influences. El Jebel means mountain in Arabic.Sopris Sun: Please relate the history of Crawford Properties and how its tied to the Hubbell family.

Adele: My dad, Floyd Crawford bought El Jebel Ranch, then a farming and ranching operation In 1961. Crawford wanted to keep the town in harmony with its site, according to the website. Crawford made significant improvements including better water and sewage utilities, adding a fire department, a schoolhouse, a post office and widening and paving the road.

Sopris Sun: How do you feel now about the community your family has built?

Adele: I am so proud of what El Jebel has become. All the people who live here are like family.They are hard-working people who mostly commute to Aspen and are employed in businesses including restaurants and lodges. The mobile home park was created in the early 1960s to help provide affordable housing for workers on Ruedi Reservoir and the surrounding area.

Sopris Sun: How large is El Jebel and how many residents live here?

Robert: It runs from Blue Lake to Highway 82 and then across El Jebel Road to include the shopping center, now leased by restaurants and other businesses. The vintage large white house and the pond are now owned by another branch of the family. The community has between 1,000 and 1,500 residents.

Sopris Sun: What about the elk ranch?

Robert Crawford Properties owns the 180-acre section, but the elk herd is owned and managed by my uncle Noel Crawford.

Sopris Sun: How did the newly developed modular home section develop?Prentice: We started to explore expanding our El Jebel Mobile Home Park home park in 2015. It took a year of planning and cost analysis to see if we could afford to build it. This is the only product that would fit the price point we needed to be at in order to keep rents affordable. Today the average cost to build in the Mid-Valley is well into $300+ per square foot. We were able to install infrastructure and place these homes for roughly one third of that. That expanded area added 46 to the previous total of 289 residences.

Sopris Sun: What are the demographics of the area?

Robert: The population of the mobile home park is about 60 percent Hispanic, and most are married. We really have embraced their culture. Weve extended a hand out.

Sopris Sun: We dont want to forget about June Park, named for your grandmother, June Crawford. How did this come about?

Robert: It definitely took a village. Our support came from five local organizations plus 172 volunteers who came from Aspen to Parachute to help. The design was aided by a group of 20 kids who related their choices at a community meeting and wanted to include an area for adults while the youngsters enjoyed the playground.

Sopris Sun: Any future plans?Robert: Were looking at improving the infrastructure and amenities of the area, including switching from private sewage-treatment to the Mid Valley Metropolitan District. Weve already upgraded the ballfield,which gets a lot of use.

Sopris Sun: Do you have any vacancies?

Robert: No. The demand for the space is high. We probably get one to three people per day looking for a place to rent. We have a long waiting list.

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Meet the Hubbells - soprissun.com