Ho. Li. Crap. Quite the story from Oregon - from Portland station KGW:
Detroit Dam operator rides out massive Oregon wildfires inside dam, keeping it safe
Forty five miles east of Salem along Highway 22, the Detroit Dam, in the Cascade Mountains, holds back some of the North Santiam River. It forms Detroit Lake and controls the amount of water flowing into the river and the valley below.
The dam is run by plant operators who carefully adjust the computers and machines that run turbines in the massive structure and control the water output.
Mike Pomeroy is one of those operators. On the afternoon of Labor Day, he reported to the dam’s control room, called the powerhouse. It's housed in a smaller building near the base of the dam. All alone, Pomeroy was about to begin one of the longest shifts of his life.
Over the first several hours, it seemed like a routine shift. Pomeroy drove back and forth the three miles from the Detroit Dam to the Big Cliff Dam downstream, checking on gauges and making adjustments.
He knew there was a fire in the area.
He locked himself in the dam monitoring the various functions for several days until the fire had burned out. Quite the story to tell the grandkids. Talk about having a pair of brass ones.
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