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Speaking Freely With Annette Newell


Aug 8, 2022

We start, with wildfires this week.  Fires, that are already scorching tens of thousands of acres across Oregon, Washington and California.  One of the biggest burning right now, is the McKinney Fire, in California, chewing through dry timber near the Oregon State line, causing orders for thousands to evacuate from their homes.   Chief Kim Zagaris with the Western Fire Chiefs Association: explained to me, why this one’s such a tough fight, and how Oregon firefighters have rushed in to help our neighbors to the south.

Sandy Roberts with the Miller Road Fire talked to KXL News Director Jim Ferretti.  That fire's so powerful that it burned through ten thousand five hundred acres, in just 21 hours. It sparked an emergency declaration from Governor Kate Brown earlier this week, as well as evacuation orders and a shelter.  We hear about that from John Hendricks, with the Oregon State Fire Marshall's office.

When we look back at the last decade in Oregon, the wildfires will be among the most significant events that shaped our history.  That’s according to historian Dr. Chris Nichols, who was a professor with Oregon State University for the past ten years, and is currently with Ohio State University.  He describes the impact he's seen first hand from climate change and the wildfires.

Finally, after all the wildfires and the heat:  do you think you need a vacation?  I checked in with an expert about how to overcome some of the many challenges travelers are facing right now.  Sarah Greaves Gabbadon, frequently appears as a travel expert in the Washington Post and National Geographic.  New York magazine named her @JetSetSarah feed, as one of the best travel Instagram accounts to follow.