Sleeping areas, showers, food, water and other services available to wildfire evacuees at the Red Cross shelter, located in Gold Beach.

GOLD BEACH, Ore., August 23, 2017 -- The American Red Cross shelter set up for Chetco Bar Wildfire evacuees remains open in Gold Beach and continues to provide shelter and aid to people displaced from their homes.

The Red Cross shelter is located at Riley Elementary School, 94350 6th St, Gold Beach, OR 97444. Individuals and families in need of shelter assistance may simply show up at the shelter for help. People facing evacuations and in need of shelter assistance may call (888) 680-1455.

The following services are available at the shelter to people displaced by the Chetco Bar Wildfire:
Shelter (sleeping area, cots, blankets)
Food (hot meals and snacks)
Water and coffee
Shower facility
Informational updates from the Fire Management Team (typically daily resident briefings)
Other assistance (dependant on individual or community needs)
Information on pet shelter assistance
Information on livestock relocation


For information on the Chetco Bar wildfire:
Residents in Curry County who have a landline will receive emergency notifications via that number.

Residents in need of fire information may call the Chetco Bar Fire Information Line at: 541-247-3680 or 541-316-5816 or 541-414-4489.

Residents facing evacuations should make arrangements to move property and livestock. Caged animals and livestock can relocate to the Curry County Fairgrounds (event center at the beach). For more info on livestock relocation to the fairgrounds, call 541-425-1821.

HOW TO HELP:
If people are interested in helping Chetco Bar Wildfire evacuees the best way to assist Red Cross efforts is to make a financial donation at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. A financial donation allows the Red Cross to mobilize quickly to aid people affected by disasters as well as to purchase supplies to address specific shelter resident needs.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Cascades or find us on Facebook at RedCrossCascades, Twitter at @RedCrossCasc and find us on Instagram at @RedCrossCascades.


Attached Media Files: Wildfire Safety Checklist , News Release - Red Cross Continues to Provide Shelter, Food, Other Resources for Wildfire Evacuees

A rescue effort during high tide late Friday night freed a young gray whale that had been stranded on a remote beach in Olympic National Park and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary for about three days.

Responders from NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network and Olympic National Park fashioned a harness around the whale linked to pulleys anchored lower on the beach and on the shore. Experts from Cascadia Research Collective, SR3, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife led responders in using the pulley system to turn the whale seaward and pull it into deeper water.

The team also dug a shallow trench around the whale to help float and position the whale as the tide came in. They had hoped the especially high tide at 10:19 p.m. would give the 24-foot whale its best chance of returning to the open ocean.

"The mission at one point seemed like it was failing with little progress made and the whale not seeming to be able to help and even appearing to turn back toward shore," said John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research Collective. "Then, at the last possible moment, with the whale in about four feet of water in the surf and the harness released, the whale started to swim."

"A cheer went up in the darkness and the assembled team stood shining lights into the darkness and mist, stunned at the apparent turn of events and success," Calambokidis recalled.

Experts estimated the whale as one to two years old, and in fair condition. Although the whale was earlier described as female, it is now believed to be a male. The whale remained alert throughout the stranding and tried aggressively to free itself several times during earlier high tides.

Historically it is unusual for large stranded whales to be successfully freed. The National Park Service and NOAA Fisheries thank the many volunteers and staff who assisted in the response.

"Whales are not designed to be out of water so their organ systems rapidly decline when beached and medical care is essential," said Lesanna Lahner, wildlife veterinarian from SR3, a marine mammal rescue organization. "To help him over these hurdles, supportive medications such as B vitamins and anti-inflammatories were administered."

Lahner and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife marine mammal biologist Dyanna Lambourn administered the medications.

NOAA Fisheries removed gray whales from the endangered species list in 1994 and estimates the population that migrates along the West Coast of the United States at about 20,000. Gray whales typically travel north from their Mexican breeding grounds to Arctic feeding grounds in spring and early summer.

Gray whales are unusual among whales in that they regularly feed in shallow waters. Several gray whales have been seen in recent months feeding in the vicinity of the stranding, which is in Olympic National Park and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Rescuing large whales is inherently dangerous for both the animals and responders, and members of the marine mammal stranding network are highly trained in marine mammal biology and health, safety protocols, and emergency response procedures. NOAA Fisheries reminds the public not to approach stranded marine mammals and instead report them to the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline at 1-866-767-6114.


Attached Media Files: Responders from the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network keep the stranded whale wet before it was freed late Friday night.

Response teams from NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network are providing supportive care to a juvenile gray whale that became stranded on a section of beach in the Kalaloch area of Olympic National Park.

The whale is believed to have become stranded on the beach on Wednesday. The whale is in poor condition but alive and has actively attempted to return to the ocean at high tide, but so far has been unsuccessful.

Olympic National Park is monitoring the scene, and urges the public not to try to reach the whale.

Olympic National Park and NOAA Fisheries have coordinated the response to the stranding, with teams from the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network monitoring and providing supportive care for the whale. At some points near low tide the whale has been fully exposed for hours. The teams have sought to protect the whale from sunburn and scavengers.

The teams have also used buckets to haul water and keep the whale as wet as possible.

The Western Pacific population of gray whales numbers about 20,000 and the number of gray whale strandings have grown with the population. From 2006 to 2016, 205 gray whales stranded on the West Coast of the United States.


Attached Media Files: A juvenile gray whale has become stranded , A juvenile gray whale has become stranded on the beach in Olympic National Park. , A juvenile gray whale has stranded on the , A juvenile gray whale has become stranded