Klamath Alerts

Fatal Pedestrian MVA On 6th Street This Morning Leaves Man Dead. Police Seek Suspect

Note: Additional details about this MVA are available in our breaking news app. If you would like to be more informed about incidents like these please consider becoming a subscriber.

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New Policy Permits Public Safety Shut Downs Of Power During Extreme Fire Conditions

Pacific Power issues the following statement from Scott Bolton, Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Customer Solutions:

As wildfires become more frequent and intense throughout the West, protecting the communities we serve from this increasing threat, while providing safe, reliable power, is our highest priority. We are building on our work over past years to strengthen our system and implement additional safety measures to reduce wildfire risks.

As part of this effort, we are working with area emergency services agencies, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and community leaders across Oregon to expand and enhance existing emergency response plans and work in coordination with our communities. This includes some new actions we’re planning for this fire season.

• We are enhancing vegetation inspections and vegetation clearance around our power lines or poles, increasing facilities inspections, making investments to improve equipment resiliency and fire-proofing, installing local weather stations, and training and equipping our field crews for wildfire suppression.
   

• For areas at a higher risk of fast-spreading wildfires, we are establishing a new fire prevention measure called a Public Safety Power Shutoff. A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a new measure designed to help keep people and communities in high-risk areas safe, by proactively shutting off power during extreme and dangerous weather conditions that can result in catastrophic wildfires. This measure would only be taken as a last resort to help ensure customer and community safety.

• Pacific Power is working with local governments and emergency services agencies to update them on the conditions when this protocol would be used and seek their input on coordination should we need to deploy a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
   
• Pacific Power is also launching a public wildfire education and outreach campaign starting June 24 to share wildfire safety and prevention tips and to inform customers of the company’s Public Safety Power Shutoff measure. This will include public information workshops for communities in high-risk areas.

Customers can take steps now to prepare for emergencies by keeping vegetation around their homes trimmed and low and updating their emergency plans and supplies. Customers should also contact us to ensure their contact information is up-to-date, so we can keep provide updates about increased fire risk alerts, potential power outages and updates on power restoration.

For more information, customers may contact Pacific Power at 1-888-221-7070 or visit pacificpower.net/wildfiresafety.

Sheriff’s Office Announces Arrests For Thefts

On Wednesday, June 12, 2019 a search warrant was executed at 1236 Owens Street, Klamath Falls, OR. The search warrant was the result of numerous investigations involving fraudulent transactions made at ten or more businesses within the community. Joshua Eli Epps was believed to have fraudulently ordered nearly $20,000 of merchandise using consumer credit accounts at local stores and stolen credit information. Earlier in the day, co-conspirator William Adams, was taken into custody while attempting to acquire merchandise which was fraudulently ordered by Joshua Epps.

Due to information that the suspect was in possession of a firearm, the Klamath County Special Response Team (SRT) served the warrant at the residence. During the execution of the search warrant Joshua Epps, along with two other occupants were detained after their surrender following two hours of negotiations. The two other occupants were released after questioning while Joshua Epps was taken into custody and lodged at the Klamath County Jail on authority of multiple felony warrants. Additional charges related to thefts are expected to be added in the next few days.

A large quantity of stolen property (tools and a stolen pistol) were recovered during the search of the residence.

Epps, Joshua Eli ​​Charges: Theft I, Theft II, Parole Violation, Identification Theft

Adams, William Anthony​  Charges: Attempted Theft I, Criminal Conspiracy I​

*No booking photo available at post time for Adams. 
 

Woman Arrested For Attempting To Drown 9 Month Old Child

Davie Lamburth was arrested in the 100 block of East Lowell Street, on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at approximately 10:00 a.m.  Klamath Falls Police Officer responded to Sky Lakes Medical Center on Tuesday, June 11th, at 1:12 a.m.  Officers were requested by Sky Lakes Medical Center Staff when the infant arrived.  The infant had been transported by family members to ensure the infant was medically stable.  The infant was removed from the home and placed with a family member.   Read more

Coast Guard rescues man 800 feet down Crater Lake caldera

The Coast Guard rescued a man who fell into the Crater Lake caldera, Monday afternoon, assisting the National Park Service and a District 3 Technical Rope Rescue Team.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Sector North Bend hoisted the man out of the caldera and transferred him to an AirLink Critical Care Transport team who flew the injured man to Bend for care and treatment.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a call at 3:47 p.m., from the Crater Lake National Park Service rangers requesting helicopter support for an injured man who fell into Crater Lake’s caldera near Rims Village.

The Coast Guard aircrew arrived on scene at 4:28 p.m. with the District 3 rope team already 600 feet down into the caldera. The District 3 team reported they could hear a man yelling from further down into the caldera.

The aircrew was hovering above the injured man within 15 minutes of arriving on scene and conducted the hoist before landing in a nearby parking lot and transferring the injured man to the AirLink helicopter crew. The aircrew departed Crater Lake at 5:27 p.m., stopped in Roseburg to refuel and returned to North Bend.

The condition of the injured man is unknown at this time.

Klamath County Road Construction Week Of June 10th.