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| |  | Evacuations were ordered after the Hoag Fire began July 16. (Gilliam County Sheriff's Office) |
| Wildfires Raging Across Pacific Northwest | At least 30 large fires started in the Pacific Northwest last week around the same time that thunderstorms hit the region. On Wednesday evening and into Thursday, there were more than 14,000 lightning strikes across Oregon and parts of Washington. OPB reports that “fire season suddenly exploded.” Officials have not yet determined the cause of every fire, but some were clearly caused by lightning. [New York Times / OPB] | - Largest fire: As of Monday, the Rowe Creek Fire Complex had burned nearly 143,000 acres in Eastern Oregon’s Wheeler, Wasco, and Crook counties. Evacuations have been ordered. Among the areas under threat are the Painted Hills, which the National Park Service has closed to visitors. [National Interagency Fire Center / OPB]
- A risk in Portland? While Eastern Oregon is facing fires, a local expert says that while it’s still unlikely, Portland is potentially at risk for a major urban wildfire — and less prepared for it than Los Angeles. The areas around Forest Park and Oaks Bottom face the greatest danger. [Oregonian]
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| What Portland's Talking About |
| | Antisemitism Charge Over Theater Marquee | A Lake Oswego movie theater known for its controversial messages is being accused of antisemitism after its marquee last week read: “Before there were the Jews, there was The Odyssey.” It was, at the very least, an odd message, since there’s not an obvious connection between Jews and the movie. [Willamette Week] | - Related: Earlier this year, the Lake Theater also attracted national attention when they put up the message promoting Amazon's Melania Trump documentary: "To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday.” Amazon subsequently pulled that movie from the theater. [Lake Oswego Review]
| | 95 Degrees Today and Tomorrow | Temperatures are expected to reach into the upper 90s today, with tomorrow potentially even hotter. It’s looking like it will be cooler by the weekend. [Oregonian] | | Environmental Groups' Concern Over Returning Tribal Lands | Oregon environmental groups sent a letter last week asking that old-growth forests be protected as Congress considers giving federal forests back to tribes. Tribes have a range of protections in place, but with the Trump administration pushing for more logging and more roads through wilderness areas, some tribal officials say the land will be better protected by them than by the federal government. [Oregonian] |
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🚲 A very Portland honor: To mark the 10th anniversary of Biketown, more than 1,000 e-bikes set a new Guiness World Record for the largest ever e-bike ride in downtown Portland. Maybe unsurprisingly, Seattle previously held the previous record, with 405 e-bikes. |
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