Americans remembered 9/11 on Sunday with tear-choked tributes, and pleas to “never forget,” 21 years after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil.
Bonita Mentis set out to read victims’ names at the ground zero ceremony wearing a necklace with a photo of her slain sister, Shevonne Mentis, a 25-year-old Guyanese immigrant who worked for a financial firm.
“It’s been 21 years, but it’s not 21 years for us. It seems like just yesterday,” Mentis said. “The wounds are still fresh.”
“No matter how many years have passed, nobody can actually comprehend that what happened that very day,” she added.
Victims’ relatives and dignitaries also convened at the other two attack sites, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
More than two decades later, Sept. 11 remains a point for reflection on the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, reconfigured national security policy and spurred a U.S. “war on terror” worldwide. Sunday’s observances, which follow a fraught milestone anniversary last year, come little more than a month after a U.S. drone strike killed a key al Qaeda figure who helped plot the 9/11 attacks, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Members of New York Fire Department raise a U.S. flag at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on Sept. 11, 2022, on the 21st anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
Pierre Roldan, who lost his cousin Carlos Lillo, a paramedic, said “we had some form of justice” when a U.S. raid killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.
“Now that Al-Zawahiri is gone, at least we’re continuing to get that justice,” Roldan said.
The Sept. 11 attacks also stirred — for a time — a sense of national pride and unity for many, while subjecting Muslim Americans to years of suspicion and bigotry and engendering debate over the balance between safety and civil liberties. In ways both subtle and plain, the aftermath of 9/11 ripples through American politics and public life to this day.
But like some other victims’ relatives, Jay Saloman fears that Americans’ consciousness of 9/11 is receding.
“It was a terrorist attack against our country that day. And theoretically, everybody should remember it and, you know, take precautions and watch out,” said Saloman, who lost his brother.
Like a growing number of those who read names at ground zero, firefighter Jimmy Riches’ namesake nephew wasn’t born yet when his relative died. But the boy took the podium to honor him.
“You’re always in my heart. And I know you are watching over me,” he said after reading a portion of the victims’ names.
More than 70 of Sekou Siby’s co-workers perished at Windows on the World, the restaurant atop the trade center’s north tower. Siby had been scheduled to work that morning until another cook asked him to switch shifts.
The Ivorian immigrant wrestled with how to comprehend such horror in a country where he’d come looking for a better life. And he found it difficult to form friendships as close as those he’d had at Windows on the World. It was too painful, he’d learned, to become attached to people when “you have no control over what’s going to happen to them next.”
“Every 9/11 is a reminder of what I lost that I can never recover,” Siby said in the lead-up to the anniversary. He’s now president and CEO of ROC United, a restaurant workers’ advocacy group that evolved from a post-9/11 relief center.
On Sunday, President Biden laid a wreath at the Pentagon and delivered remarks paying tribute to those who were killed in the attacks, saying the time that has passed “is both a lifetime and no time at all.”
“Terror struck us on that brilliant blue morning. The air filled with smoke and then came the sirens and the stories, stories of those we lost, stories of incredible heroism from that terrible day. The American story itself changed that day,” he said. “But what we will not change, what we cannot change, never will, is the character of this nation that the terrorists thought they could wound.”
The president expressed gratitude to the civilians and service members who swiftly responded to the attack at the Pentagon and the Americans who joined the armed forces in the wake of Sept. 11, declaring, “we owe you.”
“Through all that has changed over the last 21 years, the enduring resolve of the American people to defend ourselves against those who seek us harm and deliver justice to those responsible to the attacks against our people has never once faltered,” he said.
Mr. Biden also spoke of the importance of American democracy, saying the American people have an obligation to defend and protect it. The president has sounded an alarm about what he believes are assaults on democracy by some within the Republican Party who refuse to acknowledge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
“The American democracy depends on the habits of the heart, on ‘we the people,'” he said. “It’s not enough to stand up for democracy once a year, or every now and then. It’s something we have to do every single day. So this is a day not only to remember, but a day of renewal and resolve for each and every American and our devotion to this country, to the principles it embodies, to our democracy.”
First lady Jill Biden was also scheduled to speak in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of the hijacked planes went down after passengers and crew members tried to storm the cockpit as the hijackers headed for Washington. Al Qaeda conspirators had seized control of the jets to use them as passenger-filled missiles.
Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff joined the observance at the National Sept. 11 Memorial in New York, but by tradition, no political figures speak. The observance centers instead on victims’ relatives reading aloud the names of the dead.
Nikita Shah headed there in a T-shirt that bore the de facto epigraph of the annual commemoration — “never forget” — and the name of her slain father, Jayesh Shah.
The family later moved to Houston but often returns to New York for the anniversary to be “around people who kind of experienced the same type of grief and the same feelings after 9/11,” said Shah. She was 10 when her father was killed.
Readers often add personal remarks that form an alloy of American sentiments about Sept. 11 — grief, anger, toughness, appreciation for first responders and the military, appeals to patriotism, hopes for peace, occasional political barbs, and a poignant accounting of the graduations, weddings, births and daily lives that victims have missed.
Some relatives also lament that a nation which came together — to some extent — after the attacks has since splintered apart. So much so that federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, which were reshaped to focus on international terrorism after 9/11, now see the threat of domestic violent extremism as equally urgent.
“It took a tragedy to unite us. It should not take another tragedy to unite us again,” said Andrew Colabella, whose cousin, John DiGiovanni, died in the 1993 bombing World Trade Center bombing that presaged 9/11.
Beyond the attack sites, other communities around the country marked the day with candlelight vigils, interfaith services and other commemorations. Some Americans joined in volunteer projects on a day that is federally recognized as both Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The discovery of hundreds of classified records at Donald Trump’s home has thrust U.S. intelligence agencies into a familiar and uncomfortable role as the foil of a former president who demanded they support his agenda and at times accused officers of treason.
While the FBI conducts a criminal investigation, the office that leads the intelligence community is also conducting a review — currently on pause pending a court order — of the damage that would result from disclosure of the documents found at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
The investigation comes at a perilous time in American politics, with increasing threats to law enforcement and election workers and as a growing swath of officials assail the FBI and spread baseless theories of voter fraud. There’s already a wide range of speculation about what was in the documents, with some Democrats pointing to reporting about possible nuclear secrets while some Trump allies suggesting the case is a benign argument about storage.
So far, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence has proceeded cautiously, issuing no public statements and declining to answer questions about the review’s structure or how long it will take.
A look at what’s known and expected:
NOT A FORMAL ‘DAMAGE ASSESSMENT’
According to the government, the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago and papers the Republican former president had turned over previously included highly sensitive “Special Access Program” designations as well as markings for intelligence derived from secret human sources and electronic signals programs. Those forms of intelligence are often produced by the CIA or the National Security Agency, and the underlying sources can take years to develop.
The ODNI review will try to determine the possible damage if the secrets in those documents were to be exposed. It has not said if it’s investigating whether documents already have been exposed.
Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, confirmed the review in a letter to the chairpersons of two House committees. Haines’ letter says the ODNI will lead a “classification review of relevant materials, including those recovered during the search.” Experts say that could include non-classified papers with notes written on them that might reference classified information.
Haines’ letter also says her office will lead an assessment of “the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents.”
That’s different from a formal “damage assessment” that intelligence agencies have carried out after high-profile breaches like the disclosures of programs by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Damage assessments have specific requirements under intelligence community guidelines published online, including an estimate of “actual or potential damage to U.S. national security,” the identification of “specific weaknesses or vulnerabilities” and “detailed, actionable recommendations to prevent future occurrences.”
Under those guidelines, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, a subsidiary within the ODNI, would lead a damage assessment. The center is led by acting Director Michael Orlando as President Joe Biden has not yet nominated a chief counterintelligence executive.
It’s unknown whether the intelligence review will include interviewing witnesses. Haines’ letter says the ODNI will coordinate with the Justice Department to ensure its assessment does not “unduly interfere” with the criminal investigation.
For now, the Justice Department has said the ODNI review is paused after a federal judge barred the use of records seized at Mar-a-Lago in a criminal investigation. “Uncertainty regarding the bounds of the Court’s order and its implications for the activities of the FBI has caused the Intelligence Community, in consultation with DOJ, to pause temporarily this critically important work,” attorneys for the government said in a court filing.
THE ANSWERS COULD BE UNSATISFYING
The results may not come for weeks or months, and full findings will likely remain classified.
Lawmakers in both parties are calling for briefings from the intelligence community. None is known to have been scheduled.
Former officials note that it’s often difficult for agencies to diagnose specific damage from an actual or potential breach. Given the political climate and the unprecedented nature of evaluating a former president, the ODNI is widely expected to be limited and precise in what it says publicly and privately to Congress.
But reviews like the one underway often help top officials and lawmakers better understand vulnerabilities and how to manage risk going forward, said Timothy Bergreen, a former Democratic majority staff director for the House Intelligence Committee.
“No healthy organization or society can exist without comprehensive review of its mistakes,” Bergreen said. “That’s always been a democracy’s big advantage over authoritarians.”
AN OFFICE CREATED AFTER SEPT. 11
Lesser known than many of the agencies it oversees, the ODNI was created in the reorganization of the intelligence community after the Sept. 11 attacks. Amid revelations that the FBI and the CIA did not share critical information with each other, the ODNI was intended to oversee the 18-member intelligence community and integrate the different streams of collection and analysis produced by different agencies.
The ODNI supervises the drafting of the President’s Daily Brief, the distillation of top American intelligence provided to Biden and top advisers daily. Haines is the president’s principal intelligence adviser and often briefs Biden in the Oval Office along with other national security leaders.
Trump went through three directors of national intelligence in his last year, part of his long-running battles with the intelligence community.
Some of his top officials were accused of selectively declassifying information for political purposes. And before, during and after his time in office, Trump has accused intelligence officials of selectively leaking material to undermine him or not being sufficiently loyal.
He was incensed by the long-running investigations into allegations of Russian influence on his 2016 campaign, calling them the “greatest political CRIME in American History.” And he excoriated the person who spoke to a whistleblower about his pressuring Ukraine for derogatory information, saying that person was “close to a spy” who could have committed treason.
Under Biden, Haines and other top officials have been involved in declassifying information about Russia’s war plans against Ukraine. They have also faced questioning about overly optimistic assessments of Afghanistan prior to the fall of Kabul.
Michael Allen, a former Republican majority staff director of the House Intelligence Committee, said the ODNI is uniquely positioned to handle such a closely watched review.
“This, I think, is one of the reasons why you have a DNI, to coordinate across the wide and disparate community of intelligence agencies,” said Allen, author of “Blinking Red,” a history of the post-Sept. 11 intelligence reforms. “This is their bread and butter.”
Biden paused briefly in front of a ceremonial wreath to touch it and then put his hand over his heart. He was joined at the ceremony by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who are also offering remarks.
The White House announced that attendants for the president’s remarks at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial include “family members of the fallen, first responder, representatives from first responder groups, and Department of Defense leadership.”
Biden said earlier Sunday morning that he has “a plan” for the families of the victims who died in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Responding to questions from reporters before boarding Air Force One to travel from Delaware to Washington, DC, Biden, when asked if he had a plan to deal with the families of 9/11 victims who want justice after the terror attacks, responded, “Yes, there is a plan for that,” without elaborating.
Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, met with family members who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks after arriving at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City. Harris, who is attending a commemorative service at Ground Zero, also met with first responders, according to a White House official.
And first lady Jill Biden will give remarks at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Sunday morning. The first lady will be joined by her sister, Bonny Jacobs, her communications director Elizabeth Alexander told CNN. Jacobs is a flight attendant for United Airlines.
Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks, which were orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Kate Bennett, Nikki Carvajal and Aaron Pellish contributed to this report.
A New Mexico judge ruled this week that a county commissioner was disqualified from holding office because he participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
In ordering Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin removed from office, the judge cited a section of the 14th Amendment disqualifying any elected official “who, having previously taken an oath … to support the Constitution of the United States,” has then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” The advocacy group that filed the lawsuit is also considering attempting to use it to disqualify former president Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential contest, according to the New York Times.
The disqualification clause, as it is sometimes called, was written in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, in the brief period when Radical Republicans — some of the most progressive lawmakers in American history — held a majority and were determined to stop high-ranking Confederate traitors from returning to public office.
The amendment doesn’t specify who’s supposed to be enforcing it, so the responsibility has fallen to different bodies. Griffin was disqualified in court, but historically, Congress itself has sometimes taken votes to prevent elected members from being seated.
Two of those instances highlight the inconsistency of the clause’s application: the last time it was used successfully, nearly a century ago against antiwar lawmaker Victor Berger (who was not, by any standard definition, an insurrectionist), and when it was applied against former Confederate Zebulon Vance — who, like Berger, was allowed to waltz back into office once the political winds had shifted in his favor.
Vance grew up in a well-connected family that struggled financially but still enslaved more than a dozen people. After law school, he rose in the political ranks, first in the state senate and eventually as the youngest member of the 36th Congress, representing Asheville and the surrounding areas.
(Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), who currently represents Asheville and was also the youngest member of his Congress, faced a lawsuit trying to disqualify him from Congress under the 14th Amendment. The lawsuit was dismissed as moot after Cawthorn lost his primary in May.)
As the march toward the Civil War escalated, Vance initially opposed secession but eventually served in the Confederate Army. He also served as the Confederate governor of North Carolina.
After the war, in 1870, he was appointed senator from North Carolina, but the Senate refused to seat him, citing the 14th Amendment. After spending two years in Washington trying to get an amnesty, he gave up.
Capitol statue collection gets first Black American, replacing Confederate
But only a few years later, Washington was handing out amnesty like candy, defeating the whole purpose of the clause. Vance got his in 1875 and was elected to the Senate three years later. Not only did he serve until his death in 1894;in a sense, he is still there today: A statue of Vance stands in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, a 1916 gift from North Carolina that Congress cannot legally remove unless the state decides to replace it.
Berger had a very different story, though he ended up in the same pickle as Vance. Born into a Jewish family in the Austrian empire, he immigrated to the United States as a young man in 1878. He became a successful publisher in Milwaukee of both English- and German-language newspapers.
Berger was a leading voice of the “Sewer Socialists,” who believed socialist objectives could be achieved through elections and good governance, no violent revolution necessary. Today, we would call this a “roads and bridges” platform; back then, it was working sewers and clean, city-owned water.
Socialists were winning U.S. elections long before Bernie Sanders and AOC
Berger served one term in Congress — the first-ever Socialist Party member — from 1911 to 1913, the high point being when he introduced the first bill for an old-age pension. (Nowadays we call that Social Security.) He didn’t win reelection, but he stayed active in Wisconsin politics and in publishing.
Then World War I began, and with it came the First Red Scare. Berger was against the war and said so in his editorials, and in 1918 that was enough for him to be charged with “disloyal acts” under the Espionage Act. He was running for Congress again while under indictment, and soon after he won the election that November, he was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
The socialist who ran for president from prison — and won nearly a million votes
While out on appeal, Berger showed up in Washington to be sworn in. The House refused to seat him by a vote of 309-1, saying his words had “given aid or comfort” to enemies of the nation, and he was thus barred under the 14th Amendment.
In December 1919, he ran in the special election to replace himself, and incredibly, he won. The House refused him a second time. In 1921, Berger’s conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court, and he returned unfettered to Congress in 1922, where he served three terms, pushing legislation to crack down on lynchingand to end Prohibition.
NEW YORK (AP) — Payment processor Visa Inc. said Saturday that it plans to start separately categorizing sales at gun shops, a major win for gun control advocates who say it will help better track suspicious surges of gun sales that could be a prelude to a mass shooting.
But the decision by Visa, the world’s largest payment processor, will likely provoke the ire of gun rights advocates and gun lobbyists, who have argued that categorizing gun sales would unfairly flag an industry when most sales do not lead to mass shootings. It joins Mastercard and American Express, which also said they plan to move forward with categorizing gun shop sales.
Visa said it would adopt the International Organization for Standardization’s new merchant code for gun sales, which was announced on Friday. Until Friday, gun store sales were considered “general merchandise.”
“Following ISO’s decision to establish a new merchant category code, Visa will proceed with next steps, while ensuring we protect all legal commerce on the Visa network in accordance with our long-standing rules,” the payment processor said in a statement.
Visa’s adoption is significant as the largest payment network, and with Mastercard and AmeEx, will likely put pressure on the banks as the card issuers to adopt the standard as well. Visa acts as a middleman between merchants and banks, and it will be up to banks to decide whether they will allow sales at gun stores to happen on their issued cards.
Gun control advocates had gained significant wins on this front in recent weeks. New York City officials and pension funds had pressured the ISO and banks to adopt this code.
Two of the country’s largest public pension funds, in California and New York, have been pressing the country’s largest credit card firms to establish sales codes specifically for firearm-related sales that could flag suspicious purchases or more easily trace how guns and ammunition are sold.
Merchant category codes now exist for almost every kind of purchase, including those made at supermarkets, clothing stores, coffee shops and many other retailers.
“When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just common sense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain who blames the proliferation of guns for his city’s deadly violence.
The city’s comptroller, Brad Lander, said it made moral and financial sense as a tool to push back against gun violence.
“Unfortunately, the credit card companies have failed to support this simple, practical, potentially lifesaving tool. The time has come for them to do so,” Lander said recently, before Visa and others had adopted the move.
Lander is a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System and Board of Education Retirement System — which together own 667,200 shares in American Express valued at approximately $92.49 million; 1.1 million shares in MasterCard valued at approximately $347.59 million; and 1.85 million shares in Visa valued at approximately $363.86 million.
The pension funds and gun control advocates argue that creating a merchant category code for standalone firearm and ammunition stores could aid in the battle against gun violence. A week before the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people died after a shooter opened fire in 2016, the assailant used credit cards to buy more than $26,000 worth of guns and ammunition, including purchases at a stand-alone gun retailer.
Gun rights advocates argue that tracking sales at gun stores would unfairly target legal gun purchases, since merchant codes just track the type of merchant where the credit or debit card is used, not the actual items purchased. A sale of a gun safe, worth thousands of dollars and an item considered part of responsible gun ownership, could be seen as a just a large purchase at a gun shop.
“The (industry’s) decision to create a firearm specific code is nothing more than a capitulation to anti-gun politicians and activists bent on eroding the rights of law-abiding Americans one transaction at a time,” said Lars Dalseide, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association.
Over the years, public pension funds have used their extensive investment portfolios to influence public policy and the market place.
The California teacher’s fund, the second largest pension fund in the country, has long taken aim on the gun industry. It has divested its holdings from gun manufacturers and has sought to persuade some retailers from selling guns.
Four years ago, the teacher’s fund made guns a key initiative. It called for background checks and called on retailers “monitor irregularities at the point of sale, to record all firearm sales, to audit firearms inventory on a regular basis, and to proactively assist law enforcement.”
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Associated Press writer Bobby Calvan in New York contributed to this report.
Fire arms are seen at the Bobâs Little Sport Gun Shop in the town of Glassboro, New Jersey, United States on May 26, 2022.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Visa, the world’s largest payments processor, said on Saturday it will implement a new merchant category code for U.S. gun retailers, which will identify transactions at firearms stores.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved creation of the merchant code on Friday following pressure from gun-control activists who say it will help track suspicious weapons purchases.
“Following ISO’s decision to establish a new merchant category code, Visa will proceed with next steps, while ensuring we protect all legal commerce on the Visa network in accordance with our long-standing rules,” Visa said in a statement.
Mastercard said on Friday that following ISO’s approval, “we now turn our focus to how it will be implemented by merchants and their banks as we continue to support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy and decisions of individual cardholders.”
American Express said when ISO develops a new code, the company will work with third-party processors and partners on implementation.
The code will show where an individual spends money but not what items were purchased.
Several top U.S. pension funds including those for government workers in New York City and California had submitted shareholder resolutions asking payment companies to weigh in on the issue.
Some gun-rights activists have worried the new code could lead to unauthorized surveillance.
Mass shootings this year, including at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, have added to the long-running U.S. debate over gun control.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban as well as $37 billion for crime prevention programs, with $13 billion to hire and train an additional 100,000 police officers over the next five years.
A former Central California elementary school principal is facing charges of cruelty to a minor after video surfaced of him appearing to shove a student to the ground.
In the video, former Wolters Elementary School Principal Brian Vollhardt can be seen pushing a student in the chest, causing him to fall to the floor during breakfast time on June 7 in Fresno, California, KTVU-TV reported.
According to the Fresno Unified School District, Vollhardt and other staff members were interacting with an upset special needs student and the principal chose to “aggressively shove the student down” rather than “de-escalating the situation.”
The school district initiated the process to discipline Vollhardt at which point Vollhardt resigned and is no longer employed by the school.
School District Superintendent Bob Nelson called Vollhardt’s actions “repugnant” and “absolutely not tolerated at any level within Fresno Unified.”
The Fresno police chief was only made aware of the assault three months after it happened.Fresno Unified School District via Storyful
The district says the incident has been reported to both police and Child Protective Services.
Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama says the incident was reported to police on June 9 but he was made aware of the incident on September 6, nearly three months after it occurred.
It’s not known at this time if the student suffered any injuries.Fresno Unified School District via Storyful
“I can tell you as a police chief in this community, I have a real problem as to the way that this child was treated. As a parent of a 9-year-old kid, which is a very similar age to the victim in this case and who also suffers from anxiety and doesn’t always handle situations in the best way, it is troubling as to how somebody who is supposed to protect this child and provide support, treated them,” Balderrama said.
Vollhardt is scheduled to be arraigned on a misdemeanor charge of willful cruelty to a minor on September 26th.
Oakridge still evacuated, Hwy. 58 still closed; some power restored
OAKRIDGE, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Cedar Creek Fire has more than doubled in size, topping 74,000 acres Saturday as winds shifted to push the blaze back toward the east, putting up towering pyrocumulus clouds that peppered the area with lightning and sent smoke again blowing into the High Desert.
“Easterly winds pushed the fire west until the early evening, when winds shifted and pushed towards the east,” fire officials said in a late Saturday night update on the fire’s Facebook page.
A late-Saturday update on the fire’s InciWeb page said the fire had reached 74,420 acres, with nearly 1,000 personnel battling it, and removed the earlier 12%c containment estimate.
“Giant pyrocumulus clouds formed directly above the fire, sending multiple lightning strikes into the fire footprint,” they said. “Lightning occurs when the clouds grow above 30,000 feet. These strikes did not influence the fire behavior.”
Despite the plume on the fire’s west side, it “did not make significant runs,” as it did on Friday, officials said late Saturday.
Thick, heavy smoke blanketed the fire Saturday, in, both the west and east zones, and ashfall was being reported over long distances amid some cooler temperatures.
Officials said seven task force teams of firefighters were prepared for direct and initial attack efforts overnight, strategically placed throughout the fire and surrounding communities with resources from the state fire marshal.
The fire remained north of state Highway 58, east of Kwiskwis Butte Road and south of Forest Road 19.
The fire grew by some 22,000 acres in 12 hours and 40,000 acres in a day, according to a Saturday afternoon posting.
The Oakridge, Westfir and High Prairie areas remained under a Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation order Saturday, although Lane Electric Cooperative said it had begun restoring power in some places, bringing in mutual-aid crews from other areas. The live, interactive evacuation level map is at https://lcgisorg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=fffd5cd4131d40bc885331fe3c905283
Officials said power restoration in the McKenzie area was delayed, requiring coordination with the Bonneville Power Administration, which also de-energized lines in the area as a precaution.
A red flag warning for critical fire weather stayed in effect until 11 p.m. Saturday.
Fire officials also noted that despite heat signatures showing on a map south of Oregon Highway 58 at Kitson Ridge, crews found no evidence of fire activity and said the fire had not crossed Highway 58.
Among the widespread recreation impacts were closures to public access of the Edison Butte, Kapka Butte and Virginia Meissner sno-parks. Officials said the lower parking area at Wanoga Sno-Park remained open for public use and trail access, and Swampy Lakes Sno-Park and trailhead also remained open.
Sunrise Lodge at Mt. Bachelor and the parking area were closed for use as an incident command post for the fire’s East Zone, being used by Alaska Incident Management Team 1.
(Credit: Cedar Creek Fire/Facebook)
A long stretch of Highway 58 over Willamette Pass remained closed Saturday, from about milepost 13 at the Lowell Bridge on the west to Crescent Lake, milepost 70 on the east. ODOT advised motorists to take alternate routes and avoid the area. Check our TripCheck page for the latest.
Power shutdowns to reduce fire risk also were affecting other highways Saturday, ODOT said, advising travelers to watch for darkened traffic signals and debris in the roads. They also advised to expect heavy traffic late Saturday afternoon on Interstate 5 in Eugene around the Oregon Ducks football game.
Here’s Saturday morning updates on the Cedar Creek and other large Oregon wild fires – remember that we have the state of Oregon’s live wildfires dashboard on our Fire Alert page:
Cedar Creek Fire September 10, 2022
Daily Update – 8:00 AM
Cedar Creek Fire Quick Facts
Size: 51,814 acres Contained: 12% Start Date: August 1, 2022 Location: 15 miles E of Oakridge, OR Cause: Lightning Total personnel: 862 Resources: 29 engines 19 crews 46 heavy equipment 8 helicopters Current Situation: Yesterday, Governor Kate Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act. Level 3 evacuation level remains in place for the greater Oakridge, Westfir, and High Prairie area. Fire activity is expected to be high again today. East winds, low humidity, and high temperatures will continue today and start to ease tomorrow. Where winds align with terrain, tree canopy fire and fire spotting are anticipated. Fire will be carried by lichens and heavy fuels.
Status of the fire on the Willamette National Forest and West Zone: The fire has not crossed west of Highway 19; firefighters are working to hold and improve the east side. Spot fires crossed south of Highway 58 at Kitson Ridge. Firefighters are working to keep the fire north of Forest Road 1928. Today’s fire activity is expected to be extreme with long-range spotting and crown runs. Expect a large smoke column to develop by mid-morning. East of Waldo Lake, the Alaska Incident Management Team has established two branches and six divisions to work in the Deschutes National Forest side of the Cedar Creek Fire. Where possible, direct attack water drops with helicopters is occurring on the southeast edge. Crews are preparing Road 4290 from Charlton Lakes to the Cascade Lakes Highway to control the spread of the fire to the southeast.
To prevent the spread of the fire toward the east, efforts are focused on shaded fuel breaks 100-200 feet in depth on both sides of the Cascade Lakes Highway. Crews are working in the Brown Mountain area south of Crane Prairie Lake and working north. From the north, crews are working from the 2017 Nash Fire burned area near Elk Lake and improving the fuel breaks on both sides of the Cascade Lakes Highway working south. Additional contingencies are being scouted for east of the Cascade Lakes Highway.
Weather: A RED FLAG Warning is in effect today due to hot, dry, and windy conditions. East winds will continue today and switch to westerly winds tomorrow. Toward the afternoon the valley will become windy. Poor humidity levels overnight will allow for an extended burn window.
Closures: The Deschutes National Forest and Willamette National Forest have implemented closures for the Cedar Creek Fire. Please visit Willamette National Forest and Deschutes National Forest for detailed closure orders and a joint map. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place. The use of drones is prohibited in the fire area, please make it safe for our firefighters to use aircraft on the fire. Pacific Crest Trail hikers should visit pcta.org for current information.
Restrictions: Fire restrictions are in place on the Willamette National Forest and Deschutes National Forest.
Smoke: Smoke Forecast Outlooks are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook. Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8307/ | https://www.facebook.com/CedarCreekFire2022/ | YouTube: https://www.tinyurl.com/cedarcreekfireyoutube Evacuations: Sign-up for emergency mobile alerts by going to oralert.gov Please check with Lane County Sheriff’s Office 541-682-4150 and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office 541-693-6911 for updates and changes. Go to https://bit.ly/3D51kvC to view a map.
Fire Information: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Phone: 541-201-2335 | Email: 2022.cedarcreek@firenet.gov
Van Meter Fire Update:
Incident Commander: Tyler McCarty, ODF Team 3
Van Meter Fire
Klamath Falls, Ore. – Overnight, firefighters completed fireline around the southern end of the fire and continued to secure the perimeter in other areas. Matt Flock, Operations Section Chief, reminded resources at briefing “Completing that line helps to lock in the fire, but there is still an incredible amount of work left out there as we transition to mop-up and continue to widen the cold area around the fire.” Smoke may be visible today as unburned fuels within the fire are consumed.
As the work transitions to mop-up and securing fireline in the southern area of the fire, hose-lays will be constructed to provide water to all parts of the fire. Air resources will continue to provide support to moderate fire behavior as needed. In the northern area of the fire, where mop-up is already underway, firefighters will be patrolling for hotspots and smoke and gridding for heat. The goal is to widen the area from the established fireline toward the interior of the fire.
Structural resources will continue to monitor areas around homes, coordinating with wildland resources which will be working to grid for heat and cold trail these areas. Cold trailing is a process where firefighters look for signs of fire or smoke, feel the ground for heat, and use water to put out any areas where fire remains.
Due to minor growth Friday and improved mapping of the existing perimeter, the fire is currently 2,502 acres.
Evacuation levels will continue to be re-evaluated throughout the day. For the latest up-to-date evacuation information, please visit the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KlamathSheriff or call 541-205-9730. An evacuation shelter has been established at the Klamath County Fair and Event Center in Klamath Falls for anyone displaced by the fire. Space for large and small animals is available as well.
Residential traffic is allowed, but to ensure public and firefighter safety the public is asked to stay out of the fire area. Bureau of Land Management lands in and around the fire area remain closed to the public.
No reportable accidents have occurred on the fire. Falling snags and trees, ash pits and rattlesnakes continue to be safety concerns for firefighters on the line.
Low humidity and high temperatures remain in the forecast with some increased wind activity.
A Temporary Flight Restriction exists around the fire to limit any aircraft not associated with firefighting activities in the airspace. Wildfires are always a no-fly zone for drones. A drone flying in the area can ground all operational aircraft and impact suppression activities.
Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, Goat Mountain Two Fires September 10, 2022 Daily Update – 8:00 AM
Highlights: The cooler weather has moderated fire behavior somewhat in the timber, but the fire is still actively spreading in the grass. Structure protection preparations are complete along Lostine Road. Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) task forces continue to assist with operations on the south side of Double Creek.
Double Creek Fire: 147,582 acres | 15% contained | 796 personnel assigned The west side of the fire has been secured and Upper Imnaha Road from Imnaha to Freezeout Road is in patrol status. The fire continues to actively spread in the dry grass on the north, east, and south side of the fire. Firefighters are working in Horse Creek drainage on the north side of the fire to secure structures and look for opportunities to build control line to the east. River boats are being used to patrol and assess structure protection needs along the Snake River. Firefighters continue to protect structures along Upper Imnaha Road on the south side of the fire and to scout for potential control lines to tie the road to the Snake River to the east. The OSFM task forces are engaged in structure protection preparations in Imnaha River Woods four miles south of the fire’s edge.
Weather: Elevated fire weather conditions occurred yesterday with wind out of the northeast and very dry conditions. Similarly sunny and dry conditions are expected again today, but with a wind coming from the south. It is important to note that we will not be experiencing the conditions that are the cause for the Fire Weather Watch on the west side of the Cascades.
Smoke: The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued an Air Quality Advisory that is in effect until 2:00 p.m. Saturday for Wallowa, Union, Deschutes, and Umatilla Counties. For additional information, visit the DEQ website. A smoke outlook for northeast Oregon is available from the wildland fire air quality response program. Additional information can be found at PurpleAir website.
Evacuations: Level 3 “Go Now” is in effect for the Town of Imnaha north to the Snake River at Dug Bar and south to Highway 39. Level 2 “Get Set” is in effect for Lostine River Road from Fir Road south to Two Pan (including all campgrounds and trailheads). Level 1 “Be Ready” is in effect for Lostine River Road from Highway 82 to Fir Road.
Wallowa Whitman National Forest Temporary Area Closures: The Wallowa Whitman National Forest issued Temporary Area Closures for the Double Creek Fire, Nebo Fire, and Sturgill Fire (includes Goat Mountain 2 Fire) on Monday. Closure Orders and Maps are available on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest Fire Incident Updates page.
Wallowa County Road Closures: Lostine River Road from Moffitt’s south is closed. Lower Imnaha Road and Dug Bar Road are closed. Upper Imnaha Road is closed. Hat Point Road is closed. FS 39 Road is closed from Target Springs Junction to Ollokot Campground [including the Canal Rd (3920) and Lick Creek Road (3925)].
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Closures: Highway 350 (Little Sheep Creek Highway) in Wallowa County is closed between milepost 6 and milepost 29, where the highway ends. Local traffic will be allowed. https://www.tripcheck.com/
Airspace: Airspace restrictions have been issued for the Double Creek, Nebo, Sturgill, and Goat Mountain 2 Fires. Temporary Flight Restrictions were updated for the Double Creek Fire (TFR 2/4975) and the Sturgill Fire (TFR 2/3189) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operations over the fires. Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) 08/234 and NOTAM 08/235 were issued to provide safe airspace for the Nebo and Goat Mountain 2 Fires. Flight restrictions also apply to drones. Drones flying in areas of wildfire activity will cause firefighting aircraft to be grounded.
Restrictions: Forest Order #06-16-00-22-04 covers Phase B Fire Restrictions for all National Forest System Lands within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, except for the area within a ¼ mile of the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam, River Mile 247.5, downstream to the Oregon-Washington border at Snake River Mile 176.0, which is regulated by Forest Order #06-16-04-22-01.
Fire Information Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM Phone: 541-216-4579 Email: 2022.doublecreek@firenet.gov InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8366/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/doublecreekfire2022 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/Double-Creek-Fire
Crockets Knob Fire Update NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Incident Commander: Bobby Shindelar September 10, 2022
Today is Northwest Incident Management Team 12’s last day on the Crockets Knob Fire. Management of remaining firefighting resources will transition to the High Desert Type 3 Incident Management Team tonight. Northwest IMT 12 would like to thank the Prairie City School District for hosting our team and the local community for your support and hospitality!
Weather: East winds will be gusty in the morning but will become calmer by the afternoon. Temperatures will be slightly warmer today with highs in the low-80s. Conditions will still be dry with relative humidity dropping into the low teens.
Operations: Yesterday fire activity was minimal, allowing firefighters the opportunity to mop up remaining heat along containment lines. Crews also continued pulling hoses and excess equipment from containment lines. Chipping and cleanup were ongoing along FSR 45 yesterday and will continue today. Resource advisors are assessing the impacts of the fire suppression activities. They are determining what repair work may be required to protect natural and cultural resources and minimize the potential for future erosion. Helicopters assisted local small fires yesterday and will be available to assist the Crockets Knob Fire and initial attack fires today as needed.
Closures and Evacuations: Grant County has lifted the Level One evacuation advisory in the area of the fire, and County Road 20 (Middle Fork Road) has been fully reopened. Today the closure area remains in effect on the Malheur and Umatilla National Forests. Sunday the Forests will be decreasing the closure area. For complete closure information, please go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/malheur/notices/.
Smoke may be visible to nearby communities and Forest visitors. Smoke and air quality impacts within the state can be monitored by visiting: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com
The Malheur National Forest’s Public Use Restriction is Phase C on the Blue Mountain and Prairie City Ranger Districts. No campfires or personal chainsaw use is allowed. The Umatilla National Forest remains in at Phase B, which allows campfires only in designated campgrounds and recreation sites. For more information, please go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/malheur/fire, and https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/alerts-notices.
Fire Danger remains High for the surrounding area. The vegetation is still very dry, and one spark or ember could start a significant fire. The public can help us by making good decisions when they recreate on public lands and by following local fire restrictions.
Quick Facts: SIZE: 4,331 Acres CONTAINMENT: 60%CAUSE: Lightning PERSONNEL: 448 LOCATION: 19 miles north of Prairie City FIRE INFORMATION: 541-625-08922022.crocketsknob@firenet.gov FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CrocketsKnobFire INCIWEB: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8355/ TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION: There is a Temporary Flight Restriction over the Crockets Knob Fire area. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone – if you fly, we can’t.
Rum Creek Fire Morning Update for Saturday, Sept. 10
The public is reminded not to drive past or around road closures, as this creates a hazard for firefighters and residents trying to return home. There are reports of people driving at excessive speeds, not paying attention to the road or traffic, or taking their half of the road out of the middle. Traffic congestion interferes with movement of fire equipment and personnel working on the fire, and may impede the response to a flare-up. If you do not need to be in the fire area, please stay out.
Burned areas are hazardous for people to enter. Dead and green burned trees can fall, often without warning. Burned areas that have not been cooled may have smoldering stump holes and deep pockets of hot ashes. Stepping into these can cause serious injury. Even with extensive training, firefighters are killed or injured by these fire hazards every year.
The Red Flag Warning and Heat Advisory issued by the National Weather Service extend into this evening. Friday night’s very dry, warm conditions were described by Fire Behavior Analyst Nate Perrine as “like day shift for fire activity, but dark.” Relative humidity levels will be critically low again today, below 10% in some areas. Wind gusts up to 18 mph from the southeast are expected at Rum Creek Fire, along with high temperatures around 100 degrees.
Despite the critical fire weather Friday, the Rum Creek Fire stayed within its footprint with no acreage gain. One interior flare-up was suppressed using water drops from helicopters to ensure fire did not threaten the containment line. On most of the fire, personnel took advantage of the increased fire behavior to continue mop up near the fire’s edges. Containment has increased to 55%.
A group of firefighters is staying in a temporary camp near the northwest edge of the fire, to avoid the long transportation time into this remote area. This allows firefighters to easily monitor and work on the fire overnight and during the day. With winds from the southeast in the forecast, having eyes on this area is critical to keeping fire within containment lines.
After today, fire weather is expected to abate, with cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. After the extensive dry spell, fuels remain dry and the potential for new fire starts will stay high. Any new fire is expected to spread rapidly. Resources from the Rum Creek Fire are available to help with initial attack on new fire starts nearby.
The unmanned aerial system (UAS) has been reassigned to a fire with greater need for its special functions. On the Rum Creek Fire, the UAS assisted with aerial reconnaissance, infrared mapping, and tactical ignitions.
Evacuations: Evacuation orders and notifications have not changed. An interactive map showing evacuation levels according to address can be found at //JosephineCounty.gov/FireMap. For the most current evacuation information and resources, go to Josephine County Incident Information (rvem.org).
Road control: Josephine County Sheriff’s Office has established traffic access points around the fire zone. Road blocks are located at Galice Road near Crow Road; Galice Store; Bear Camp Road at Peavine (top intersection); Lower Grave Creek Road at Angora Creek (Grays Ranch); Quartz Creek Road about 3 miles up (end of County maintenance); Dutch Henry Road near Kelsey Creek (42 44’56.2/123 40’35.4); and Hog Creek at Galice Road. Only residents (must show proof of residency) and permitted users will be allowed through.
River status: The Wild section of the Rogue River below Grave Creek will remain open unless fire conditions warrant closure. River status is determined on a day-to-day basis. Please call 541-471-6535 for more information regarding Rogue River permits. No new boating permits will be issued at this time.
President Donald Trump posted a long tribute to the Queen after her death on Thursday.
Biden said he’ll attend the funeral, but CNN reported it’s up to him to invite former US presidents.
Around 2,000 people are expected to attend The Queen’s funeral, which is set for September 19.
The Royal Family announced on Saturday that the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will take place on September 19, but who exactly will make the guest list is still up in the air.
The Queen died on Thursday at age 96 after a historic 70-year reign. Buckingham Palace has long planned for her death, upon which her son, now King Charles III, immediately ascended to the throne.
The Queen’s coffin is being prepared to lie in state in Westminster Hall for four days prior to the funeral to allow the public to pay their respects. Officials anticipate more than one million people will attend.
An official funeral service is expected to be held at Westminster Abbey, where the Queen was crowned and where she married Prince Philip in 1947. Around 2,000 people are expected, including Europe’s royal families and leaders from around the world.
President Joe Biden said Friday that although he did not yet have details about the service, he would be attending. Whether former US presidents will make the guest list is unclear.
CNN reported Friday that the UK was leaving that decision to Biden.
“I am told by a couple diplomatic officials that Buckingham Palace is leaving it up to every country individually,” Jeff Zeleny, CNN’s chief national affairs correspondent, said, noting that former President Barack Obama invited George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter to go with him to the funeral of Nelson Mandela in 2013.
“So there is protocol for having US presidents invite other presidents,” he continued. “Who knows, maybe in the spirit of forgiving and giving President Biden will invite Donald Trump on Air Force One. I doubt that will happen, but I do expect some type of a bipartisan delegation.”
Former President Donald Trump, for his part, was a vocal fan of the Queen, whom he met on several official state visits during his presidency. After the news of her death, Trump shared a long tribute to the Queen in a series of posts on Truth Social.
“Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor. What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her!” he wrote, adding: “May God bless the Queen, may she reign forever in our hearts, and may God hold her and Prince Philip in abiding care.”
Trump also shared several photos of him and the Queen smiling together during their visits.
Trump and Biden, on the other hand, may be on more hostile terms than ever after the president’s address on September 1 in which he said “MAGA Republicans” represented a danger to American democracy.
While discussing whether or not Biden would invite Trump to the funeral, CNN’s Jake Tapper said he thought it would be a “clever” move for the president to invite him and see if he goes.
“I don’t think former President Trump would want to be subordinate on Air Force One, and I think probably he prefers his own plane anyway,” Tapper said.
Eight New Jersey firefighters were rushed to the hospital Saturday night after two trucks collided with one another on their way to a house fire. Engine 1 and Engine 5 were just half a mile shy of the fire in Paterson when their trucks crashed at Broadway and Straight Street just before 6 p.m., according to local reports. One of the trucks was reported to have also crashed into a nearby building, reported NBC New York, adding that Fire Chief Brian McDermott was on his way to the hospital to check on the injured crew, where one of them was said to be in bad shape. Another ambulance was called to the site of the crash just before 7 p.m.
