Oct. 14,
2016
Tom Fields, 503-945-7440, tom.fields@oregon.gov
successful summer following three tumultuous seasons. The Oregon Department of
Forestry, which protects roughly 16 million acres of private, state and federal
lands, officially ended fire season today (Friday, Oct. 14, 2016), with the
Central Oregon District being the last to lift restrictions.
ODF and its fire protective association partners suppressed 807 fires in 2016
that burned 5,554 acres and cost about $17.4 million. In comparison, the
volatile fire seasons from 2013-2015 accounted for an annual average of 81,467
acres and about $88 million in fire suppression costs.
“Overall, we are pleased with the outcome of the 2016 fire season,”
said ODF Fire Protection Deputy Chief Ron Graham. “Thanks to aggressive and
safe firefighting, we were able to keep several fires with great potential
small in scale while keeping firefighter injuries to a minimum. We are thankful
for our partners within Oregon’s complete and coordinated fire protection
system, including forest landowners, rural fire districts, and federal and
state partners that played key roles throughout the fire season.”
While acres burned were significantly less than normal, the number of
human-caused fires was well above average. ODF’s fire statistics show that more
than 90 percent of the ignitions in 2016 resulted from people, up nearly 25
percent from the average. Graham said there is still a lot of work to be done
through prevention.
“Fire prevention remains our top priority,” he said.
“Human-caused fires, especially debris burning and illegal, abandoned
campfires continue to raise concern. We are constantly looking for new ways to
raise awareness to reduce these unnecessary and careless fires.”
The end of fire season does not mean the end of fire prevention. The public is
urged to continue to practice vigilance with any activity associated with fire.
When burning yard debris, do so during daylight hours under calm conditions.
Scrape a fire trail down to mineral soil completely around burn piles. Keep
piles small and manageable, feeding the fire periodically from larger piles.
Monitor the burn carefully and keep a shovel and charged garden hose at the
ready.
Just like a campfire, never leave the burn pile unattended and put the fire
completely out before leaving. Revisit the burn site regularly over several
weeks to make sure the fire has not rekindled.
Burn piles, especially tightly compacted piles, can hold heat and smolder for
many weeks, rekindling when the temperature goes up and the wind blows.
Residents should contact their local fire department before conducting any
burning as restrictions vary among local fire districts.
Fire season is declared and terminated on a district-by-district basis based on
fire danger conditions. Walker Range Fire Patrol, which provides protection for
ODF near Crescent, was the first to declare fire season on June 1.
Below is a list of ODF Fire Protection Districts and their fire season start
and end dates:
– Walker Range Fire Patrol Association, June 1-Oct. 13
– Central Oregon District, June 3-Oct. 14
– Klamath-Lake District, June 3-Oct. 13
– Southwest Oregon District, June 3-Oct. 13
– Douglas Forest Protective Association, June 8-Oct. 5
– Coos Forest Protective Association, June 24-Oct. 6
– Northeast Oregon District, June 28-Oct. 13
– South Cascade District, June 28-Oct. 5
– Western Lane District, June 28-Oct. 6
– North Cascade District, June 30-Oct. 1
– West Oregon District, July 5-Oct. 4
– Northwest Oregon District, July 30-Oct. 4