September 21, 2020 3:50 a.m.
On Saturday, News Radio 1240 surveyed the damage along the North Umpqua Highway and Rock Creek Road, thanks to Sergeant Brad O’Dell of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, who provided an escort.
Trying to describe all the destruction is difficult. The fire burned around the Narrow’s Tavern in the Idelyd Park area, getting within a foot of the building. Turning north onto Rock Creek Road almost nothing was left standing. The heavily forested area was home to around two dozen residences. With burned out rubble everywhere, ironically an above ground pool at one property made it through the fire apparently unscathed. As previously reported, just about all of the Rock Creek Fish Hatchery was destroyed.
In the Swiftwater area, much of the park burned along with sections of the North Umpqua Trail. While following a pilot car, a logger was spotted carrying a chainsaw up a very steep slope, doing work that few people have the skills to attempt. Many trucks and lots of heavy equipment were working to clean the area up, a process that will likely take a very long time. The next few miles heading east are practically unrecognizable. While trees in the area of the 2015 Cable Crossing Fire were beginning to come back along the highway, that section was dealt a major blow.
The Fall Creek and Susan Creek areas were heavily burnt as well. Much of the North Umpqua now looks like a different world, though periodically a home or other building that survived can still be seen.
The Fall Creek and Susan Creek areas were heavily burnt as well. Much of the North Umpqua now looks like a different world, though periodically a home or other building that survived can still be seen.
For O’Dell, a graduate of Glide High School, the loss is hard:
While its hard to see a bright spot in all the destruction, O’Dell did find one positive aspect to the situation:
O’Dell2 Q: up to this point (:09)
O’Dell pointed to what he believes is a big reason for that:
See pictures from Rock Creek Road and the North Umpqua Highway posted with our story at www.541radio.com
