NI man living in USA has emergency bags packed as massive fires edge closer to his home

By Carmel Robinson
Published 11th Sep 2020, 16:20 BST
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A NI man living in Oregon has emergency bags packed as fires, which have ravaged across the state, edge closer to his home.

David Whan, originally from Magheralin near Lurgan and lives in Oregon with his wife Angie, says the Roseburg area where he lives is currently on a Level One alert.

David, who manages a non-emergency medical transportation company, said: “It’s awful. Towns burned to the ground. The smoke is terrible. Like the thickest fog you can imagine back at home.

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“If you go outside for more than five minutes you smell like you’ve been at a bonfire or campfire for hours.

Close to David Whan's home in Oregon, USA where fires are blazing destroying thousands of acres of land and decimating homes and wildlife.Close to David Whan's home in Oregon, USA where fires are blazing destroying thousands of acres of land and decimating homes and wildlife.
Close to David Whan's home in Oregon, USA where fires are blazing destroying thousands of acres of land and decimating homes and wildlife.

“There’s a darkness all day long. Then there’s the ash. It’s covering everything. One of the fires closest to me burned 72,000 acres in less than 12 hours. It’s 12 miles away from us. There’s another one also 12 miles away.

“We are on a level one warning. That means pack things up and start preparing to get out. It’s Level One get ready. Level Two get set and Level Three get out!

“So I am watching the news constantly. We have clothes and things already packed. Pet carriers ready for the cats etc. I filled my tank with petrol. If it goes to level two we will be leaving. I am not going to wait for a level three. Not a chance!

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