Heavy thunderstorm activity has ignited numerous fires on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected lands in northeast Oregon over the last several days. “We had an intense lightning storm roll through northeast Oregon yesterday that brought abundant lightning. Even with the moisture which came under the core of the storm, we have had seven fires on land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry,” commented Matt Howard, Wallowa Unit Protection Supervisor. Fires ranged in size from a single tree to 1 ½ acres.
Fire starts from the thunderstorms which began hitting the area late Sunday have been suppressed at initial attack by our ODF fire crews with assistance from our federal cooperators and are in mop-up and monitor stages. The one exception is the King Ranch Fire which started late Sunday and spread to 33 acres before being contained Tuesday. Rainfall followed the center of the storm Tuesday, reducing initial spread of fire, and making smokes more difficult to detect. Fire managers anticipate detection of additional fires from yesterday’s lightning which may have been left smoldering from the passing rain. As the temperatures rise throughout the day and fuels continue to dry out these smoldering fires will likely spread and be more easily seen by firefighting crews and fire lookouts throughout the region.
A specially funded helicopter was moved up from Pendleton to Wallowa County Tuesday where the storm hit especially hard. The Type II helicopter was used for dropping water on the largest of the fires which was threatening private land in the Chesnimnus area. The helicopter will be staged in Wallowa, to be dispatched as needed throughout northeast Oregon. Firefighters expect additional thunderstorms to continue to move through the region through the remainder of the week and into the weekend. “There is a persistent upper level low pressure system that is set up off the northern California coast and a large high pressure system in the mid-west, creating an air mass that is very unstable, allowing thunderstorms to build readily”, Howard explains.
Fire Season is in effect for lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Northeast Oregon District. A Regulated Use Closure has also been implemented for protected lands. For more information regarding Fire Season and Regulated Use visit: http://bmidc.org/restrictions.shtml
Jamie Knight / Christie Shaw
Oregon Department of Forestry – NE Oregon District