Warrenton fire chief warns city about water problems

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, December 13, 2011

WARRENTON If the Shilo Inn went up in flames today, Warrenton Fire Chief Ted Ames said there wouldn’t be enough water to fight the blaze.

Ames attended Tuesday night’s Warrenton City Commission meeting. He said the city of Warrenton’s infrastructure cannot keep up with the development in its current state.

When the subject of priorities for public works projects came up on the agenda, Ames made it clear what he felt the first priority should be.

“The situation right now, and I’m going to bog down in some real tactical verbalizing for you folks, if there’s a fire in the Shilo motel, it’s a sprinkled occupancy, there’s not enough water in the system out there to efficiently run the sprinkler system,” Ames said.

“If we come up and pull more water out of the ground to try and boost the system, we’re not going to get it, we can’t get it.”

Ames explained how water is pumped to the eastern areas of Warrenton, including the Walgreen’s, Shilo Inn and Youngs Bay Plaza.

An 18-inch water line connection underneath U.S. Highway 101 and some 18-inch lines on the east side of Marlin Drive help, “But you might as well consider those in the ground small little reservoirs, because they really don’t do what needs to happen to the east side.”

“Now it’s my understanding, because I read it in the paper, that more development wants to happen west of the Shilo and across the highway and all of that. I’m telling you right now that fire flows from Marlin Avenue and East Harbor, and east are in the toilet. And they have been for 20-plus years.”

City Manager Kurt Fritsch said that while he questioned Ames’s timing and place to bring up the topic, his point was valid and his message was legitimate. Mayor Mark Kujala thanked Ames for his comments.

Commissioner Frank Orrell said he was frustrated and could see why the fire chief was frustrated – but said the city was willing and the staff was competent and he was sure they could work something out.

Public Works Director Don Snyder said a waterline built across the bridge – which would help to address the issue – was fifth on the priority list.

“That probably should be project one,” Ames said.

With the city of Gearhart’s water system coming online in the near future, Ames said the problem will only get worse, as the lines will not be open to places like Sunset Beach, Camp Rilea and Clatsop Plains. The Warrenton Fire Department will have to rely on well water and a pump.

“You can’t mix well and surface water and that’s what’s going to happen down there. We’re going to leave a huge chunk of Clatsop Plains with deficient fire flows,” he said.

“My job is doom and gloom. You guys pay me big bucks to plan and think for all kinds of stuff. And if we have a fire in the Shilo, or in one of those strip malls out there, we have a big, major problem. We don’t have the water to deal with it.”