April 28, 2015
Oregon Department of Forestry, working with the Chiloquin Agency Lake Rural
Fire Department and Klamath County Fire District No. 5, responded to two fires
recently, with one about 1.5 acres in size and the second a quarter
acre. These fires resulted from escaped debris burns. Fire
personnel from each agency and the landowners worked to control the fires
on two different afternoons and evenings until both were out.
These
are just two of several escaped debris burns fire agencies have been responding
to in Northern California and Southern Oregon since the above average warmer
weather has returned following a record breaking dry winter the geographic area
has experienced. A debris fire is the burning organic material, such as
yard trimmings, tree limbs, needle build-up, or forest litter. What are
some common denominators for these escaped fires?
One
may be the idea that if you lit a debris fire last fall, or even last week, and
are not seeing smoke or flames; your debris fire may not be out. Piles
can and have retained burning material through even a cold and very wet
winters, even more so thru this very dry winter and spring.
What
can a landowner do to help eliminate this potential problem? If you
burned debris piles last fall or earlier this spring, physically check
them. To physically check a pile, use a shovel or other equipment to dig
through the ashes until you hit the soil underneath. Touch the burned fuels. Is
there warmth? Warmth is a sign that burning materials still exist.
Mix the ash and soil until all of the material is cold. Recheck the
pile(s) later.
Another
is the lack of clearing all burnable material down to a mineral soil line [at
least 2 ft wide] around the debris piles or burn area.
Not
appropriately monitoring a burn site from ignition to “dead out” is another
denominator. People should monitor a fire’s activity and be prepared to
take control actions as necessary. Weather conditions can change
rapidly. A calm, controlled fire can be racing across your property onto
another’s in a matter of minutes. Don’t be surprised by sudden changes in
weather.
Check
with your local rural fire department for a burn permit. Permits contain
requirements to help you burn safely, such as under what weather conditions you
may burn, what equipment and tools are needed to burn, what time of day to
burn, and having someone with the fire until it is dead out.
The
Department of Forestry-Klamath-Lake District, responded to 27 escaped debris
burn fires in the last three years, with over half of those occurring in the middle of
spring. Planning and taking preventative measures could have prevented
these fires. Please, help us help you have a fire-safe spring cleanup.