![Nakia Creek Fire. Photo courtesy Cade Barker/Barker Photography](https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Large_Clark-County-Today-Clark-County-Sheriffs-Office-provides-summary-of-activity-for-the-Nakia-Creek-Fire-Photo-Cade-Barker.jpg)
As homes were evacuated, CCSO’s efforts turned toward protecting the properties and residences within the evacuation zones
The following is a summary of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) activities in support of the fight to contain and extinguish the Nakia Creek Fire between Oct. 16-Oct. 21.
Beginning on Sun., Oct. 16, with the activation of the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) Emergency Operation Center (EOC), CCSO assigned a commander and a sergeant to staff the EOC and help with emergency planning and evacuation operations. As evacuations expanded, CCSO called in additional staff to assist with making notifications and evacuating those in the affected areas. This included activating Clark County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (CCSOSAR) volunteers. CCSOSAR contacted over 600 homes in the level 1 and level 2 evacuation zones. This was in addition to CRESA’s efforts to make notifications by sending out public alerts.
As homes were evacuated, CCSO’s efforts turned toward protecting the properties and residences within the evacuation zones. Unfortunately, from watching other natural disaster events across the nation, CCSO officials knew that evacuated areas would become targets for those individuals looking to take advantage of this unfortunate event by burglarizing and stealing items from vacant residences.
A total of 31 patrol personnel and two commanders volunteered to work additional hours to safeguard the area by working to deny access to the evacuation zones and patrol those areas. These staff logged more than 500 hours working in the areas under evacuation.
A total of 88 calls for service in the area were generated. These were a mixture of self-initiated activities like field contacts and traffic stops and responding to 9-1-1 calls from citizens or requests to assist firefighters.
Deputies made four arrests in the evacuated areas. Two for Residential Burglary and Theft charges, one on a District Court Warrant, and one on Probable Cause for a previous incident of Theft of a Motor Vehicle.
Three residences reported burglaries during the listed timeframe and there were two online reports of theft of items from porches or around residences. On Fri., Oct. 21 the area evacuations were lifted in the residential areas and the responsibility for the area was turned back over to CCSO patrol staff.
“We were humbled by the support shown to CCSO by area residents. We want to thank the firefighters, DNR, and Oregon Department of Forestry for all their efforts to help get the fire under control and allow residents to return to their homes,’’ read a statement issued by the CCSO..
Information provided by Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Also read:
- Opinion: OIC tells consumers not to pay for ‘insurance’ you won’t likely benefit from: Does that include WA Cares?Elizabeth New (Hovde) of the Washington Policy Center believes you should consider yourself warned by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner about WA Cares and its maybe-only benefit.
- Opinion: Same road, different speed limit?Target Zero Manager Doug Dahl addresses a question about speed limit signs going into and leaving town.
- Progress being made at GRO Parade of Homes siteThe 2024 GRO Parade of Homes, presented by the Building Industry Association of Clark County, is a little more than a month away, and builders are busy completing the luxury homes before the big event, scheduled for Sept. 6 through 22 in Felida.
- Has trust in the media tanked over coverage of President Biden’s decline?After President Joe Biden’s calamitous debate performance against former President Donald Trump, and days after Biden’s decision Sunday not to seek reelection, there are still many questions about how the news media covered Biden’s mental and physical decline.
- Opinion: Hiding the growing cost of the Interstate Bridge replacementJoe Cortright of the City Observatory addresses the rising cost of the Interstate 5 Bridge replacement project.
- Letter: ‘This election I am NOT voting for Greg Cheney’Clark County resident Wynn Grcich shares her thoughts on Rep. Greg Cheney and the issue of fluoridation in area drinking water.
- Major gas line leak closes major arterial in Clark CountyFirefighters from Clark County Fire District 6 responded Thursday (July 25) afternoon to the scene of a major natural gas leak on NE 99th Street, directly in front of Columbia River High School.