Firefighters Continue Mop-Up and Push Board Shanty Fire Containment to 20%

Firefighters working the Board Shanty Fire south of Grants Pass have pushed containment to 20% and cooled the perimeter 200 feet into the incident from the fire's edge. Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 3 reported this morning that the wildfire was 469 acres while the Watch Duty app reported the incident to be 474 acres. Members from a local ODF Type 3 incident management team will shadow the complex incident management team today to prepare for taking over command of the incident on Wednesday morning. Resources devoted to the Board Shanty Fire today total 641 personnel including 24 hand crews, 19 engines, 16 water tenders and 12 bulldozers. Helicopters and other aviation assets assigned to the nearby Grizzly Complex remain on standby for the local wildfire. Firefighters continue to push further toward the interior of the fire, bolstering the strength of the lines. Today, crews will extinguish hotspots identified and flagged by nightshift crews using handheld infrared cameras to detect heat. While mop-up continues, there still may be visible smoke from burning material in the interior of the incident. Josephine County Zones JCU-436, JCU-437 and JCU-448-A are now under a Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notice. All other evacuations have been lifted. Unless things change significantly on the Board Shanty Fire, there will be no more evening updates provided by ODF -- although morning updates will continue. ...Read more

Oregon DOJ Consumer Hotline Warns of New Phone Number Transfer Scam

The Oregon Department of Justice's Consumer Hotline is warning Oregonians about a new scam involving unauthorized transfers of phone numbers to different wireless carriers. In the phone number "porting" cases reported, consumers receive unexpected text messages or emails saying their phone number was being moved to another provider. The message included a PIN and urged them to call their mobile carrier to "secure" their number. Unfortunately, when the consumer called their provider and shared the PIN, scammers were able to hijack their phone number. This caused service to be cut off and, in some cases, led to identity theft and financial loss. In one instance, a consumer discovered that their bank accounts had been accessed and money was stolen. This scam has impacted customers across multiple mobile phone carriers. The Oregon DOJ urges anyone who believes they've been targeted or affected to file a complaint at "oregonconsumer.gov." Scams are becoming more sophisticated, but staying informed is one of the best ways to protect yourself. ...Read more

Applications Being Accepted for Seat on GP Public Safety Advisory Committee

Applications are being accepted for one position on the Grants Pass Public Safety Advisory Committee. This position will be for a three-year term. The Public Safety Advisory Committee serves as a collaborative platform for community engagement and guidance on public safety matters. The committee aims to bridge the gap between the community and City Council, ensuring that public safety strategies align with the needs and resources of the community. The special qualification or experience for this position is a citizen-at-large. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 15th. Applications will be reviewed by the committee on Tuesday, August 19th. The appointment will be made by the Grants Pass City Council at its regular meeting on Wednesday, September 3rd. ...Read more