There are some great things happening in Silver Lake and Christmas Valley Oregon, there were also some sad and frightening things that happened. Lately we have had high winds in Christmas Valley and Silver Lake. High winds would normally not be a problem, except when you add fire into the mix. Read from a source, The Community Breeze, which is a local paper, Mr. Brown of Christmas Valley had a terrible fire incident happen in his yard. Were it not for surrounding locals, the fire may have spread and caused serious problem.
Mr. Brown of course, is our local wood provider taking very good care of his clients and often over stocking his wood supply. The fire started in his back yard and thanks to the help of his close and not so close neighbors they were able to contain the fire until local firefighters arrived to take care of the fire. Two days later the Edwards Family also experienced a massive fire, in their barn. The hay had been hot and probably smoldering for quite awhile, a heat lamp in their barn, which was keeping their 22 piglets cozy and warm ignited the fire.
Fire doesn’t just have a serious effect on people, it can have a serious effect on animals as well. In Silver Lake, though fires are more common in summer, they do happen during winter time. Everything out here is so dry, and then wet for awhile and then very dry and cold. There is no green here in the winter and it’s mostly sand and sagebrush.
Barns have always been great fire starters, not because of outside materials but because inside people just don’t think about something catching fire. Some things to avoid in your barn are:
1. Make sure all lights, light bulbs or heat lamps are nowhere near any flammable objects such as hay, paper, bags, shavings or straw.
2. Make sure your bulbs are the proper size for your light, problems start when you try to place a light bulb somewhere it’s not meant to be. Especially if you have a low wattage to a light and your light bulb requires more than available.
3. Keep cobwebs and loose hay fragments out of light trays and away from any exposed electrical wires. If you have exposed wires, immediately secure and enforce those wires so they cannot cause fires.
4. Keep your exits and entries clear with no blockage, such as wheelbarrows, grain or anything you will have to jump or dodge if a fire does occur.
5. In the winter time keep heat tape on your hoses so if you do have a fire you don’t have a frozen water pipe when you really need it.
6. Keep an eye on any hay which may be too dry, moldy or smoking in your barn.
The most common cause of barn fires is hay. When you place wet or damp hay too close together it produces heat, which dries the hay bales and then causes more heat and smoke, eventually leading to a fire if not caught. When hay season comes around always check your bales in the middle by slipping your hand down in the center of the bale. If you feel any dampness at all, leave your bale out to dry more or place your bales far apart to avoid combustion.
In other news, prices have gone up in Christmas Valley, Oregon. Gas prices raised from 3.89 to 4.00 which is a great leap in gas prices compared to cities like Bend who have a current 3.69 in gas.
In light of this tragedy groceries have also gone up in prices, there are two stores in which you can buy groceries. Sagewood Grocery and the local Chevron Station. Hopefully the gas prices will go down in February.
If you live in Silver Lake be sure to visit 'Silver Lake Fuel and Repair' for their grand opening February 4th, 2012. You can find their ad in 'The Community Breeze' local paper.
Post your comments below and tell us what you think. We love to hear your thoughts!
Comments