We are in the midst of the worst wildfire season in Oregon history, with our entire state choking on smoke and as much as 10% of the state facing evacuation orders last week. Air Quality Indices have ranged from 170 (unhealthy) to above 600 (off the charts).

On Sept. 7 in the Santiam Canyon east of Salem, 13 fires were sparked by downed transmission lines during high winds. Fires in that region now have destroyed entire towns and burned hundreds of homes. On the same day in Eastern Oregon, another fire was started by downed power lines south of Umatilla. Although firefighters held this one to 200 acres, it was moving so fast that Fire Chief Steven Potts reported it was “faster than he could drive” — something he had never seen in 30 years.

Despite tinder-dry conditions, frequent winds and increasingly extreme weather due to climate change, Idaho Power insists that it wants to build the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) 500-kilovolt line on the “Morgan Lake Alternative” route, as little as 276 feet from the boundary of Morgan Lake Park, near the head of the steep Mill Creek canyon. This area is rated the No. 1 at-risk Wildland-Urban Interface in Union County (per the Union County Community Wildfire Protection Plan).

This canyon burned in 1973 and it is primed to burn again. The 1973 fire burned within a quarter mile of Grande Ronde Hospital. Putting a major power line near Morgan Lake is a recipe for disaster. The only route in or out is the narrow, steep and dangerous Morgan Lake Road, which gains 1,200 feet in just 2 miles.

A fire in this location would be fought by volunteers from the La Grande Rural Fire Department. Idaho Power’s application claims that firefighters could be there in four to eight minutes, but anyone who has driven Morgan Lake Road knows this is absurd. In addition, firefighters would have to wait for Idaho Power to de-energize the line; meanwhile, the entire canyon, with dozens of homes, would likely be gone. Winds sweeping down-canyon could then blow it right into town.

Idaho Power’s application to build B2H should be denied, as it puts our community at an elevated risk for wildfire. Visit www.stopb2h.org for information on how you can help us fight this disastrous and ill-conceived plan.

Matt Cooper

La Grande