Ash covers Oregon cities, wildfire smoke chokes US West

TROUTDALE, Ore. (AP) — A growing Oregon wildfire covered parts of Portland’s metropolitan area Tuesday with ash and prompted the shutdown of a lengthy stretch of highway through the state’s scenic Columbia River Gorge.

It was one of dozens of wildfires burning in western U.S. states that sent smoke into cities from Seattle to Denver — prompting health warnings and cancellations of outdoor activities for children by many school districts.

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, a federal agency that coordinates wildfire-fighting, said 80 large fires were burning on 2,200 square miles in nine Western states.

The 16-square mile fire east of Portland forced hundreds of home evacuations. Embers from the fire drifted in the air across the Columbia River — sparking blazes in neighboring Washington state.

The wildfire grew rapidly late Monday and overnight, giving authorities just minutes to warn residents on the Oregon side of the river to leave their homes.

A closure of one section of Interstate 84 because of thick smoke and falling ash was extended 50 miles east of Portland because flames reached the roadway, said Dave Thompson, a spokesman for Oregon’s Department of Transportation.

“If it jumps the road, you’d be driving through a wall of flame,” he said. “It’s just not safe.”

People in Oregon covered their faces to shield themselves from the smoke and the ashes falling on them.

“You can’t really stand outside without getting rained on” by ash, said Joanna Fisher as she walked to work at a Troutdale, Oregon naturopathic clinic with Calla Wanser, who was wearing a red bandana around her mouth to keep the ash out of her lungs.

Elsewhere, a fast-moving wildfire in northern Utah swept down a canyon Tuesday morning — destroying structures, forcing evacuations and closing highways.

A least one home burned and more than 1,000 people were evacuated as high winds fed the flames in the canyon north of Salt Lake City. Thick black smoke closed parts of two highways as firefighters struggled to fight the blaze fueled by winds gust at up to 40 mph.

Lee descendant resigns as pastor over racial justice comment

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A descendant of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee says he stepped down as pastor of a North Carolina church after negative reactions to his comments supporting racial justice during an MTV awards show “made it clear that I was no longer welcome there.”

The general’s distant nephew, the Rev. Robert W. Lee IV, issued a statement Monday saying he resigned from Bethany United Church of Christ near Winston-Salem after the congregation decided to put his tenure to a vote.

He said some church members were uncomfortable with his remarks praising the Black Lives Matter movement during the Aug. 27 MTV Video Music Awards. He was introducing the mother of Heather Heyer, who was killed during demonstrations over a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Lee also used the televised remarks to lament that his ancestor has become a symbol of racism.

“We have made my ancestor an idol of white supremacy, racism and hate,” he said. “As a pastor, it is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin.”

The MTV appearance brought unwanted attention to the small church about 100 miles west of Raleigh. The church has a Winston-Salem address, but serves the town of Midway, Lee said.

“A faction of church members were concerned about my speech and that I lifted up Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’ s March, and Heather Heyer as examples of racial justice work,” Lee said in the statement explaining his resignation.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Lee declined to elaborate on what was said by the church members who disagreed with him, but said it was clear he couldn’t remain as pastor.

Police officer who arrested Utah nurse fired from medic job

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah police officer caught on video roughly arresting a nurse who refused a patient blood draw has been fired from his part-time paramedic job.

The ambulance company president says Tuesday that Detective Jeff Payne’s termination came after Payne said on video that he’d bring transient patients to the hospital to retaliate against nurse Alex Wubbels, who was following hospital policy.

Gold Cross Ambulance President Mike Moffitt said Payne’s remarks were very concerning and don’t reflect how the company treats people.

Moffitt said Payne has worked for the agency for more than 30 years and the arrest on the video was uncharacteristic.

Payne was put on paid leave from Salt Lake City police after the July 26 video emerged last week. Authorities have also opened a criminal investigation into his actions.

Maine’s ‘Passy Pete’ lobster predicts 6 more weeks of summer

BELFAST, Maine (AP) — A group of Mainers says Passy Pete the Lobster has predicted six more weeks of summer at an annual ceremony.

The crustacean has been fished out of the Passagassawakeag River for the past three years in a tradition modeled after famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil’s winter prediction in Pennsylvania.

David Crabiel and his business partner, David Brassbridge, thought up the eccentric ceremony as a way to have some fun. Each year, a group of barons flank Passy Pete as he picks a scroll to determine whether Maine will see an extended summer or be greeted by winter. This year’s ceremony took place Monday.