RON AND DON

Don O’Neill takes looting in Chelan personal

Aug 19, 2015, 12:00 PM | Updated: 5:29 pm

A Washington National Guard soldier uses a flare to burn brush and other materials inside a dirt fi...

A Washington National Guard soldier uses a flare to burn brush and other materials inside a dirt fire line near a home threatened by the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, near Chelan. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Three Washington National Guard soldiers stand in a clearing on a hillside as they fight the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. The troops in Washington state were part of a massive response to blazes burning throughout the West. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A Washington National Guard soldier uses a flare to burn brush and other materials inside a dirt fire line near a home threatened by the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. The troops in Washington state were part of a massive response to blazes burning throughout the West. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A helicopter uses a bucket to drop water on a hot spot at the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. Wildfires are putting such a strain on the nation's firefighting resources that authorities have activated the military and sought international help to beat back scores of blazes burning uncontrolled throughout the dry West. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A brush fire truck providing water to firefighters battling the First Creek Fire sits parked next to a recreational vehicle on a hillside above Lake Chelan, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. A crew of mostly Washington National Guard soldiers protected the structures below the hillside for most of the day. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A helicopter uses a bucket to drop water on a hot spot at the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. Wildfires are putting such a strain on the nation's firefighting resources that authorities have activated the military and sought international help to beat back scores of blazes burning uncontrolled throughout the dry West. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Major General Bret Daugherty, second from left, commander of Washington Army and Air National Guard forces, greets Washington National guard soldiers who were fighting the First Creek Fire above lake Chelan Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. Under Daugherty's direction, guard troops have undergone "Red Card" and other fire fighting training in order to be able to help fight wildfires in the state. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) A helicopter uses a bucket to pick up water from Lake Chelan to be used in fighting wildfires as a boat tows people on an inflatable tube at left, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. Crews made dozens of water drops Tuesday in support of crews working on the ground to fight fires and protect structures. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Washington National Guard Sgt. Matt Eagen checks under a large rock for hotspots on a hillside as he fights the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. The troops in Washington state were part of a massive response to blazes burning throughout the West. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) 
 Three Washington National Guard soldiers stand near a structure as they fight the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. The troops in Washington state were part of a massive response to blazes burning throughout the West. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
            
 A firefighter walks away from a smoke-filled hillside while fighting the First Creek Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, near Chelan, Wash. Wildfires are putting such a strain on the nation's firefighting resources that authorities have activated the military and sought international help to beat back scores of blazes burning uncontrolled throughout the dry West. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Families in the path of wildfires charring the Chelan area now have one more thing to worry about: Looters.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office reports that looters are combing through neighborhoods left empty as wildfires approach.

Related: Wildfire forces evacuation of two Washington towns

“If you are out there doing that, we are going to catch ya,” said Rich Magnussen with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. “The community up here is very aware. We are getting lots of reports on vehicle descriptions, and people that look like they are in an area for the wrong reasons. We are following up on all those and we are going to catch them.”

The news came personally to KIRO Radio’s Don O’Neill, who has experienced looting firsthand.

“I am so mad right now that there are people whose homes are burning to the ground and yet there are people in Chelan that are going to loot,” Don said. “I feel very strongly about this. I feel very emotional about this.”

“Come on, if people survived the fire, can they at least survive the looters?” he said.

Co-host Ron Upshaw understands Don’s anger.

“I would be OK if someone wanted to protect their property,” Ron said, adding it’s not a good idea to get violent. “It’s the worst of the worst people that are preying on folks that are in harm’s way.”

Looting is a subject Don knows well. He lost a lot during Hurricane Katrina, including during the aftermath.

“The thing that was disgusting to me, was when I went into a Walmart there, and there were police officers in there that were looting the store and not stopping the looters,” Don said.

He recalled that after the hurricane, people showed up with trucks and trailers with signs implying that they were disaster relief. But it was a ruse. The trucks were loaded up with possessions from empty homes.

“And here they came from all over the country and it looked like they were coming to help: professional looters,” Don recalled. “They had pickup trucks, with lights on top and trailers that said ‘Disaster Relief’ and they knew people in New Orleans wouldn’t be home for months.”

“They broke into my house; there were five units where I lived,” he said. “They broke into every single unit, they went through all our drawers, they went through all our belongings, all our clothes and I’m like, ‘Really? I survived a hurricane and a flood, but I can’t survive the looters.'”

Don likened the Katrina experience to families in Chelan, many of whom have fled their homes, leaving them empty, hoping that the wildfires pass them by.

“You’re sitting in a shelter, and all of a sudden you have to move the shelter because the fire is coming your way. And now the fire is coming toward that shelter, so you have to move to where you were just at,” Don said. “And in the meantime you’re thinking ‘There are some jack wagons out there right now going through my house; looting my house.'”

“And looters don’t care,” he added. “They may be looking for electronics, but along the way, if they end up breaking a picture of grandma or take some ashes they didn’t intend to take, that doesn’t bother them at all.”

Despite his emotions, Don did note that not all people amid natural disasters resort to bad behavior.

“You see the very best of people,” he said. “I saw a young man come from Texas; he brought his boat and saved 111 people. He was 19 years old and he said ‘Well, if the United States government isn’t going to show up, I’m going to show up.'”

Meanwhile, the entire town of Conconully in Okanogan County has been evacuated. Approximately 200 people received an order to leave their homes as flames approached the area.

About 1,000 firefighters are tackling the blazes throughout the region. Dozens of homes have fallen victim to the flames, and many more remain in the pathway of wildfires. Conditions are expected to remain favorable for the fires, with winds and high temperatures moving the flames across the eastern landscape.

Ron and Don

...

KIRO Newsradio Newsdesk

Ron and Don’s last show on KIRO Radio

Last night was Ron and Don’s last show on KIRO Radio.

5 years ago

Kelly Herzberg in her natural habitat. (Photo by Rachel Belle)...

Rachel Belle

In Seattle, a personal shopper and stylist who only shops at thrift stores

If you think you can't afford a personal stylist, head to the thrift store with Sweet Kelly Anne Styling's Kelly Herzberg who will pull hundreds of pieces for you to try on.

5 years ago

Viaduct waterfront...

Ron Upshaw

What do we do with the waterfront after the viaduct is gone?

After the viaduct is taken down, we'll be left with a choice: What do we do with one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the country?

5 years ago

(MyNorthwest)...

Ron Upshaw

Shower Thoughts: Ichiro can give Mariners fans something to root for

Rumor has it that Ichiro might make a comeback next year, and I for one welcome it.

5 years ago

Border wall...

Ron Upshaw

Trying to figure out why people want Trump’s border wall

A little over 40 percent of Americans now support the idea of a border wall, but what is it about it that seems so attractive?

5 years ago

Dan McCartney, Pierce County Sheriff...

Don O'Neill

Why you could hear kids’ voices on Pierce County Sheriff radios Monday night

Sometimes, "gone but not forgotten" isn't always how slain officers are remembered. But in Pierce County, a special effort is being made to commemorate a fallen deputy.

5 years ago

Don O’Neill takes looting in Chelan personal