Wildfires and an accompanying record-setting heat wave made news every day last week in Northeastern Oregon.

In Wallowa County, residents grappled with a heat advisory last week from the National Weather Service, and more hot days are coming up this week, with forecasters predicting highs of 96 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday — and a 98-degree day expected on Saturday.

But it’s been hot — and will continue to be hot — all through the region.

The temperature reached 100 degrees on three straight days at the Baker City Airport — July 8, 9 and 10. And on the 11th it was a single degree short of that threshold.

Hermiston hit 101 or more six days in a row — July 7-12, and probably crested 100 again on July 13. Even set a record high on July 10 with 112.

John Day set a record high of 100 on July 7.

La Grande set a record high of 102 on July 11.

The hot temperatures, combined with kiln-like humidity levels and occasional gusty winds, meant that a series of human-caused wildfires spread rapidly. One fire that started on the edge of Huntington on July 10 resulted in the evacuation of Farewell Bend State Park. No one was injured.

A day later, two fires started in northern Malheur County, and one eventually spread to more than 80,000 acres, threatening, but not damaging, homes in the unincorporated town of Brogan.

But there’s more going on in Wallowa County and Northeastern Oregon than just the heat and wildfires — and so the Chieftain staff is working on a variety of stories as we head into the busiest part of the summer. Some of those stories will appear in the Wednesday regional edition of the East Oregonian, while others will be posted on our website at wallowa.com.

Already up on the website is Bill Bradshaw’s story about the leaders of the Greater Idaho movement inviting Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to come and talk with them.

That artisan-crafted medallion that was hidden somewhere in Wallowa County has been found — somewhat sooner than organizers of the search had anticipated. Do you think you could have found the medallion, if you had access to the all of the weekly clues the Chieftain would have printed? Check out all the clues and see what you think.

A delay in getting materials has pushed back repairs on the Montclair Street Bridge in Enterprise for four to six weeks. 

An Idaho musician will speak Tuesday at the Wallowa History Center about his efforts to track down old-time songs from Hells Canyon. Bring your instruments — a jam session will wrap up the event.

But watch our website over the next couple of days for these stories and more:

• Plans to move the Joseph City Library to a new location have hit a funding bump. We’ll have the details.

• The Tamkaliks celebration is coming up next weekend; we’ll have a preview.

• And the annual Chief Joseph Days rodeo gets rolling again in less than a couple of weeks; we’ll have preview stories to help you get ready.

Of course, we’ll be keeping an eye on the weather — and on regional fire conditions. So be careful out there — and don’t forget to hydrate.

Remember that Chieftain subscribers now have online access to the websites of all of EO Media Group’s Eastside news-gathering operations — the La Grande Observer, the Baker City Herald, the Hermiston Herald, the East Oregonian and the Blue Mountain Eagle in John Day. 

For all digital access:

• Simply register your account on every site you wish to read with the same email address and password you currently use.

• Once you’ve registered, enter your username and password to enjoy the full range of content on that news site.

• You should not have to login again unless you log out, clear history or experience software updates.

• Save your password when prompted by your browser and if you are inadvertently logged out, your browser can fill in your login and password for you. (Only use this option on your personal digital devices.)

To view the latest e-editions, be sure to register your account and sign in to www.eastoregonian.com.

Sign up for e-newsletters from each website by going to the “Email lists” link on your account dashboard for each site.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at 800-781-3214 or email support@eomediagroup.com.

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If you have comments or questions about the Chieftain or the regional edition of the East Oregonian, or want to pass along a story idea, send me an email at this address: editor@wallowa.com.

Finally, as always: Thank you to the Chieftain’s subscribers. We simply would be unable to do this vital work without your support.

Mike McInally is editor of the Wallowa County Chieftain. Jayson Jacoby, the editor of the Baker City Herald, contributed to this edition of the newsletter.