June 18, 2015
June 17, 2015
Contact:
George Ponte, 541-460-3025 (cell)
Increasing wildfire danger has prompted the Oregon
Department of Forestry to tighten public fire prevention restrictions in its
Central Oregon District. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 19, these
restrictions will be in force on private and non-federal public forestlands in 12 counties including Harney, Morrow, Grant, Wheeler,
Gilliam, Hood River, Wasco, Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson, along with
small portions of Umatilla and Lake counties.
District Forester George Ponte
said very dry vegetation due to the ongoing drought and warm weather is
resulting in quickly rising fire danger levels.
“We are at a point where new
wildfires are growing quickly and becoming more difficult and expensive to
control,” he said. “These restrictions are intended to eliminate human-caused
fires as we will soon be busy enough with lightning-caused fires.”
The following activities are
restricted or prohibited:
- Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in
vehicles on improved roads.
- Open fires are prohibited, including campfires,
charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except in designated
areas. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are
allowed. Open fires are allowed if conducted in compliance with a valid
Burning Permit issued pursuant to ORS 477.515.
- Chainsaw use is prohibited between the hours of 1 p.m.
and 8 p.m. Chainsaw use is permitted at all other hours, if the following
firefighting equipment is present with each operating saw: one ax, one
shovel, and one 8-ounce or larger fire extinguisher. In addition, a fire
watch is required for at least one hour following the use of each saw.
- Cutting, grinding and welding of metal is prohibited
between the hours of 1 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. At all other times the
area is to be cleared of flammable vegetation and the following fire
equipment is required: one ax, one shovel, and one 2-½ pound or larger
fire extinguisher in good working order.
- Use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and
all-terrain vehicles, is prohibited, except on improved roads and except
for vehicle use by a landowner and employees of the landowner on their own
land while conducting activities associated with their livelihood.
- Possession of the following firefighting equipment is
required while traveling in a motorized vehicle, except on federal and
state highways, county roads and driveways: one shovel and one gallon of
water or one 2-½ pound or larger fire extinguisher, except all-terrain
vehicles and motorcycles, which must be equipped with an approved spark
arrestor in good working condition.
- Mowing of dried grass with power-driven equipment is
prohibited between the hours of 10a.m. and 8 p.m., except for the
commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.
- Use of fireworks is prohibited.
· Any electric fence controller in use shall be:
1) listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or certified by the
Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services; and 2) operated in
compliance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Reminder: The following activities are banned anytime during wildfire season, including during the current period of tightened public-use restrictions:
- The release of sky lanterns is prohibited.
- The discharging of exploding targets or tracer ammunition is prohibited.
“Landowners and forest operators, and the general public
need to be extremely cautious,” Ponte said. “Under the right conditions a
spark, campfire or carelessly tossed cigarette could result in a large,
destructive and costly wildfire that puts firefighters and the public at risk.
People should also know that all new fires starts are thoroughly investigated
to determine the cause of the fire. If investigators determine who is
responsible, that person or persons could be held liable for the firefighting
costs which can be in the millions of dollars.”
June 17, 2015
Hot, dry weather prompts conditions similar to those in September 2014
A wildfire tore through 30 acres of the Tillamook State Forest last Saturday, June 13.
The Sunset Grade Fire began around noon, then burned through the night and into Sunday morning before firefighters extinguished it. Crews from the Oregon Department of Forestry as well as the Forest Grove and Banks fire departments worked together to subdue the blaze.
Since Jan. 1, a total of 226 fires have burned 505 acres of Department of Forestry land, compared to the 10-year average of 135 fires burning 1,127 acres during the same period, the department’s website states. More than half of those fires were human-caused.
The site also mentions the early onset of dry-weather conditions this year, as does Forest Grove Fire & Rescue’s Facebook page: “This fire is proof that we are seeing conditions usually seen in the middle of July. And it is very dry out there. Be very cautious when out in the forest lands around the state or even in our back yard.”
Tuesday morning, KOIN 6 News went even further when it came to the Forest Grove fire station to report on the beginning of wildfire season in Forest Grove, Astoria and Tillamook. Oregon is already so hot and dry, KOIN reported, that conditions statewide are similar to those in September of last year, when the Scoggins Creek Fire near Hagg Lake between Forest Grove and Gaston scorched more than 200 acres.
[Article from the Forest Grove News-Times]
June 12, 2015
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) announced today that
all of its districts in the Northwest Oregon Fire Protection Association will
enter wildfire season on Tuesday, June 16.
“With the current and predicted weather, summer is here,”
said Columbia Unit Protection Unit Forester Malcolm Hiatt. “We want to get out
in front of the situation, since fire danger is increasing.” Many of our indices that determine fire
danger are already at or above the levels that we were observing at the time of
the Scoggins Creek Fire last year that started on September 19, 2014.
Entry into fire season chiefly
addresses industrial forest operators. Logging operations, for example, are
required to have a fire watch present after work activity ceases for the day,
and fire suppression equipment must be positioned on site.
But if the warm, dry weather continues, additional
restrictions may be added on recreation and other activities.
The ODF districts entering
fire season on Wednesday include: Astoria, Forest Grove, and Tillamook.
For more
information on the restrictions imposed by the fire season declaration, contact
the nearest Oregon Department of Forestry office. Contact information for the
Astoria, Forest Grove and Tillamook district offices can be found at: www.oregon.gov/ODF/offices.shtml.
June 12, 2015
June 12, 2015
It’s already dry, and the heat is on its way. Those two
factors prompted the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Western Lane and
South Cascade districts to declare wildfire season starting Tuesday, June 16.
“Conditions are setting up for increased fire danger,” South
Cascade District Forester Greg Wagenblast said. “We’re in a cool-down period
right now, but the hot weather is forecast to return soon.”
A declaration of fire season imposes certain restrictions on
recreational and work activities in the forest. Industrial operations are
required to have firefighting equipment on site. Since restrictions may vary,
it is advisable to check with the nearest ODF office for rules specific to the
local area.
The Western Lane and South Cascade districts together
encompass all of Lane County as well as eastern Linn County and portions of
northern Douglas County.
Though backyard debris burning is still allowed through June
15, he advised extreme caution.
“Have a garden hose and shovel ready near your burn pile,
and attend it at all times,” he said.
Escaped debris burns are a common cause of wildfires every
year in Oregon. These damaging fires often occur when the homeowner leaves the
burn unattended to pursue some other activity. All it takes is a spark from the
pile to drop into nearby dry grass, add a little wind, and it’s game on.
The Keep Oregon Green Association offers practical wildfire prevention
tips for around the home and in the forest at: keeporegongreen.com.
June 12, 2015
June 12, 2015
Contact:
Dan Thorpe
Oregon Dept. of
Forestry
For southwestern Oregon
residents, there are two reliable indicators that wildfire season has arrived: smoke
in the air, and Brian Ballou on the evening news. Since 2004 the Oregon
Department of Forestry fire prevention educator has taught homeowners,
recreationists and forest operators common-sense ways to avoid accidentally starting
fires while working or playing in the woods. In recognition of his efforts, Ballou
recently received the coveted Bronze Smokey Award.
“This is the highest honor
given to organizations or individuals for outstanding
wildfire prevention service that is national in scope,” Said Dan Thorpe, ODF
district forester for SW Oregon. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Smokey Awards
recognize individuals and organizations for “outstanding wildfire prevention
service or projects rendered.”
Ballou’s innovative approach
to educating the public about fire safety incorporates an array of tools, from
mass media, to home visits, to social media. A wildfire blog he originated has
become the go-to source for area residents seeking current fire information.
During the record 2013 and 2014 seasons the blog exceeded 25,000 hits per day.
His brochures, “Wildfire!
Are you prepared?” and “Will your home survive a wildfire?” have fostered
awareness of the fire risk among thousands of rural homeowners and instructed
them in how to make their houses and properties defensible in the event of an
encroaching wildfire.
Hundreds of broadcast news
media appearances each summer have cemented his reputation as the face of
wildfire prevention in SW Oregon.
The fire educator’s
behind-the-scenes work has had no less of an impact on the public’s awareness
of wildfire risk. He was a key player in the development of Community Wildfire
Protection Plans in two counties and five communities.
Willing to reach out even to
non-traditional partners to promulgate the wildfire prevention message, Ballou
worked with plant specialists, Oregon State University Extension, nurseries,
landscapers and others to produce a local list of fire-resistant plants for
rural homeowners. Some plants commonly used in landscaping, such as ornamental
juniper, can actually carry a ground fire to structures, while the plants on
his list resist the flames and also require less water to maintain.
Measuring the success of any
type of prevention work can be challenging. But during his tenure in ODF’s
Southwest Oregon District, the trend in human-caused wildfires has declined
from 200 a year to 165 annually – a significant impact in a fire-prone area
with a population of 300,000.
In 1997, the Oregon
Legislature passed landmark legislation that addressed the burgeoning threat to
forests, life and property posed by developments near and in the forest. The Oregon Forestland-Urban
Interface Fire Protection Act, which came to be known as “Senate Bill 360,”
broke new ground by encouraging rural residents to turn their fire-vulnerable urban
and suburban properties into less-volatile zones where firefighters could better
defend homes from wildfires. Ballou implemented the Act throughout Jackson and
Josephine counties and statewide with passion and creativity, developing an
entire suite of SB-360 aids, including a guidance manual for rural residents,
certification training materials, and a property self-evaluation form.
His nomination for the
Bronze Smokey Award received broad support from the community, with 31 letters
of support submitted by organizations including the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon
State Fire Marshal, The Nature Conservancy, Congressman Greg Walden, Southern
Oregon Timber Industries Association and others.
Gwen Beavans, National Fire
Prevention Coordinator with the U.S. Forest Service, described the high regard
in which Ballou is held for his work:
“Brian is a longstanding
stalwart representative in fire prevention and a household name in southern
Oregon, just like Smokey Bear,” she said.
Ballou works out of ODF’s
Southwest Oregon District office in Central Point, and he resides with his
family in the area.
June 8, 2015
Corn
Creek Fire
The Douglas Forest Protective Association (DFPA) is
at the scene of the 75-acre Corn Creek Fire, 14 miles east of
Canyonville near the community of Milo in Douglas County. The fire is burning in grass, brush and trees on steep, rocky
terrain.
Two
helicopters, a bulldozer, and 30 firefighters are working to contain the
fire. Additional firefighters have been ordered and are expected to
arrive on the fire this afternoon.
In
addition to DFPA, the Tiller, Milo and Days Creek Volunteer Fire
departments, the South Umpqua
Fire Department, Umpqua National Forest, and Douglas County Sheriff’s office
are on scene assisting with the fire.
Cause is under investigation.
News contact:
Kyle Reed
Fire Prevention
Specialist
Douglas Forest
Protective Association
Office: (541)
672-6507 ext. 136
Cell: (541)
580-2789
June 2, 2015
The Douglas Forest Protective Association located an additional two lightning-caused fires Monday afternoon, bringing the total number of lightning fires started by Sunday’s storm to six. The newly detected fires were located 11 miles northwest of Glendale and eight miles south of Elkton. Both were small and have been trailed and mopped up.
DFPA firefighters will continue to monitor the lightning-affected areas the next several days for any additional fires.
May 21, 2015
Some Oregonians enjoy the Memorial Day weekend at home, while others
head to the forest. Whichever you choose, make it a wildfire-free holiday by
following some basic safety tips.
If you’re going to the forest, check first to see if campfires are
allowed at your destination. If they are, review the Keep Oregon Green
Association’s checklist on the web, www.keeporegongreen.org/. It advises how to safely locate, maintain,
and then extinguish your campfire.
If you’re staying home over the holiday, some yard work might figure in
your plans. But, what to do with that pile of debris left over from pruning
trees and trimming shrubs? If possible, chip or recycle it. But if burning is
your only option, be careful. Already this spring, escaped debris burns have
damaged property and incurred firefighting costs.
Again, the Keep Oregon Green website is a good place to go. Check out
their tips on how to do backyard burning safely.
May 7, 2015
On Wednesday evening, firefighters continued to strengthen
containment lines around the Peavine Creek Fire north of Glendale in Douglas County. Higher
humidity due to fog aided their efforts. Priority has now
shifted from strengthening containment lines to mopping up hot spots.
Firefighters will start from the outside of the fire and work in, with the goal
of extinguishing 100 percent of the heat and smoke within the entire fire. On scene
at the fire today are three hand crews, five water tenders, one bulldozer and various
industrial forest landowner representatives.
Fire facts
-
Location: five miles north of Glendale
-
Reported: around 5 p.m. May 5
-
Situation: burning in heavy fuels on steep, rugged terrain
-
Size: about 123 acres
-
Status: 100 percent trailed with either dozer line or hand line
-
Cause: under investigation.
Contact:
Kyle Reed
Douglas Forest Protective Association
541-672-6507 x136 office
541-580-2789 mobile
###
May 6, 2015
May 6, 2015
Contact:
Kyle
Reed
Douglas Forest Protective Association
(541) 672-6507 X 136
(541)
580-2789
kyle.reed@oregon.gov
The Peavine Creek Fire, located 5 miles north of
Glendale, is estimated to be about 100 acres this morning. The fire,
discovered Tuesday afternoon about 5 p.m. by DFPA’s fire detection
cameras, damaged two pieces of logging equipment that were parked nearby. The fire is burning on industrial timber
lands. It is not threatening any homes. The cause is under
investigation.
About 60 firefighters worked through the night Tuesday and made
good progress on the fire, creating a fire trail around half of it. Wednesday’s goal is to complete the trail around the entire
fire and begin the mop-up phase.
Working the fire today are three 20-person hand crews,
two sets of cutters, five water tenders, a bulldozer, a fixed-wing observation
aircraft, a helicopter, and various industrial representatives.
April 28, 2015
April 28, 2015
For more info contact:
Randall Baley, (541) 883-5681
Klamath Falls – The
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.
April 17, 2015
It’s spring cleaning time for forest landowners. They pile
and burn woody debris left after logging. Doing this clean-up now makes the
forest safer from wildfires when summer arrives. Warm weather came early this
year. As a result, burning of logging slash is ahead of schedule. Strict rules
help keep smoke away from communities. Learn more about prescribed forest
burning from the Oregon Department of Forestry.
March 24, 2015
By
Dylan J. Darling The Bulletin Mar 20, 2015
A warm
winter with light snowfall in the mountains near Bend means wildfire season
could come early.
Timber
fires do not typically occur in Central Oregon until August, said Ed Keith,
Deschutes County forester, but the lack of snow may lead to big blazes earlier.
“This year it may be June or July,” he said Wednesday.
Last
winter was similar, although with more snow, and a late spring wildfire brought
a scare to Bend before Central Oregon’s usual summer fire season. The
6,908-acre Two Bulls Fire started June 7 and prompted the evacuation of nearly
200 homes in and near west Bend. The human-caused blaze, the exact cause of
which remains under investigation by the Oregon Department of Forestry, burned mainly
through private timberland near Tumalo Reservoir. While fire season last year
was busy around the
Northwest, few fires affected Bend after the Two Bulls Fire.
Whether
fire season comes early this year this year depends on weather this spring,
which starts today. Spring begins with a dismal snowpack in Central Oregon.
The
Deschutes/Crooked River Basin snowpack was only 9 percent of normal for this
time of year as of Wednesday, according to the Natural Resources Conservation
Service. Many of the automated snow sites monitored by the federal agency
report no snow for the first time in three decades of recording data. A year
ago the basin had 54 percent of the normal snowpack on March 20.
Rain
fell in Bend last week, and the National Weather Service forecast calls for
springlike weather, with rain expected to fall in Bend tonight and rain and
snow possible early next week.
“We are
gaining some precipitation now, which will help,” said Rachel Cobb, a Weather
Service meteorologist in Pendleton, “but I don’t know if it will be enough to
make up for what we didn’t get over the winter.”
Starting
next week, Cobb plans to start compiling daily fire weather forecasts Monday
through Friday, detailing temperatures, relative humidity and wind patterns —
weather factors used by firefighters to determine potential fire behavior.
For
now, firefighters chiefly use the forecasts to plan controlled burns, which
have already begun in Central Oregon, but later they use them for wildfires.
During wildfire season the weather service produces fire weather forecasts
seven days a week.
The
Oregon Department of Forestry does not have any immediate plans to start
staffing for fire season or issue fire restrictions early, but that could
change with the weather, said George Ponte, Central Oregon District forester
for the Oregon Department of Forestry in Prineville.
The
lack of snowfall has left grasses in forests around Central Oregon ready to
burn, he said. Snow typically crunches down grasses, lowering the likelihood of
the grasses holding a flame once the snow has melted. Without snow, the grasses
are taller and warm weather could dry them out.
“Those
could go at any time with a spark or a careless match,” Ponte said, noting that
most early season wildfires in Central Oregon are caused by people.
December 9, 2014
Each year the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) team up to select and train inmates to dispatch to wildfires. Inmates are selected to serve on superv
ised 10-person crews, and have to complete the same nationally certified firefighter training course as their civilian counterparts. They learn the fundamentals of wildfire behavior, firefighting techniques, communication, and safety.
Deployment of DOC fire crews this year began in January and continued through October. During this time, DOC deployed an astonishing 242 staff members and 2,701 inmates to battle 66 fires. These crews were on the fire line from one to 17 days at a time, depending on the severity of the fire.
November 21, 2014
The
rains have set in, and the summer wildfire season is rapidly fading into
memory. For the Oregon Department of Forestry, though, the current period might
be called the “accounting season.”
Paying
the bills, collecting reimbursements and handling other financial tasks will
take months. 2014 was a severe fire season. The state’s firefighting
expenditures ran to more than $75 million. After reimbursements, the net cost
is expected to be about $47 million.
Cost
of the epic 2013 fire season was even higher. The department spent $122 million
that year to put out fires. The net cost calculated to around $75 million.
In
both years, hot, dry conditions and abundant lightning produced hundreds of
fires across the Oregon landscape.
October 23, 2014
[With the announcement today that the Northeast Oregon District has ended fire season, the entire state is now officially out. It was an active season. On the 16 million acres protected by ODF, 1,117 fires burned 51,198 acres. Compared to the 10-year average, that is 174 more fires and more than double the acreage burned.]
News Release from the Oregon Dept. of Forestry, Oct. 23, 2014:
As of 12:01 p.m. on October 23, 2014, fire season was
officially terminated for forestlands protected by the Oregon Department of
Forestry (ODF), Northeast Oregon District. This includes private, state, county,
municipal and tribal lands in seven counties: Union, Baker, Wallowa, Umatilla
and small portions of Grant, Malheur and Morrow. Scattered rain showers
throughout the district over the past few weeks, combined with cooler fall
temperatures has reduced the fire danger.
However, John Buckman, Northeast Oregon District Forester, reminds the public
to implement safe practices when using fire in the fall months.
“Fall is a good time to burn forest slash or yard debris, but please
recognize that just one sunny and windy day can change conditions very
quickly,” he said. “Each fall we respond to escaped fires, so please
continue to use fire in a responsible manner.”
Technical advice for burning and smoke management can be obtained from your
local ODF office.
With the termination of fire season, requirements such as providing
firefighting equipment at logging sites or obtaining a burning permit for burn
barrels are no longer in effect. However, termination of fire season does not
relieve landowners or forest operators of lawful responsibilities concerning
the safe burning of debris or slash. Windy conditions combined with warm
weather could cause unpredictable fire behavior.
Specific Smoke Management/Burning Advisory Information:
– Unless you are in a rural or city fire department protection area, burn
permits for burn barrels and small amounts of yard debris are not required. If
you are under the protection of a rural or city fire department, please call
and ask what their burning restrictions are. Burning within the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation requires a permit from the CTUIR.
Follow all requirements within the permit.
– Burning of slash from forestry and logging activities requires a Notification
of Operation/PDM from the Oregon Department of Forestry. In addition to this
permit, the local Oregon Department of Forestry office must be contacted prior
to ignition.
Before burning in northeast Oregon, it is important to check weather conditions
related to smoke management. For smoke management forecasts call (541)963-9781
or visit the following website:
www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/protection/fire_protection/Daily/neo.htm.
– Slash Burns must be registered with the local Oregon Department of Forestry
office at least seven days prior to burning and burning accomplishments
reported within seven days after burning.
The Northeast Oregon District of the Oregon Department of Forestry would like
to thank forest landowners, forest operators and the public for their efforts
in fire prevention, detection and suppression activities this season. After
back-to-back record fire seasons for the State of Oregon, the Northeast Oregon
District was again able to keep acres burned below the 10-year average of 2,207
acres.
Firefighters in the district suppressed 105 fires, which burned just 1,038
acres. Additional resources such as helicopters, bulldozers and single-engine
air tankers partially paid for with General Fund monies from the State of
Oregon helped significantly to check fire spread quickly in a year in which
there were numerous large fires burning throughout the state.
These additional resources were part of the coordinated effort employed by ODF,
which also included rural fire departments, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, local contractors, landowners and
a long-standing relationship with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land
Management.
For further information, contact the Oregon Department of Forestry at these
local offices:
La Grande Unit (541) 963-3168
Baker City Sub-Unit (541) 523-5831
Wallowa Unit (541) 886-2881
Pendleton Unit (541) 276-3491
To report a fire, call 9-1-1.
Northeast Oregon District Wildfire Blog:
http://neodistrictfireblog.blogspot.com/
ODF on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ORDeptForestry
Contact Info:
Christie Shaw, (541)886-2881, (541)263-0661
Jamie Knight, (541) 963-0195, (541)786-0501
October 20, 2014
News contact: George Ponte, 541-447-5658,
gponte@odf.state.or.us
The Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District
announced today that the 2014 wildfire season on state-protected lands will end
Tuesday morning, Oct. 21. All fire season-related rules will be lifted on the
district, which encompasses 2.2
million acres of private and public forest and rangeland in 10 counties.
This year to date, 16,582 acres have burned in the district –
nearly double the 10-year average of 8,681 acres.
“2014 was a very challenging fire season,” said District
Forester George Ponte.
The Two Bulls Fire set the stage for high fire activity,
breaking out west of Bend on June 7. Wind spread the
fire rapidly, prompting residential evacuations.
A month later the White River Fire
ignited in The Dalles Unit. Parched forest fuels and rugged terrain challenged
firefighters battling the blaze.
Wave after wave of thunderstorms swept
across Washington and Oregon during the hot, dry summer, starting so many fires
that the Pacific Northwest Region emerged as
hotspot of the nation. To the district’s firefighters, it seemed like central
Oregon lay at the epicenter.
In late July, dry lightning raked the district, igniting
several fires in the John Day Unit that were eventually dubbed the Haystack
Complex. An ODF fire team took command of the suppression operation and by
early August was able to turn management of the complex back over to local
forces.
Standard operating procedure would have
called for the team to be promptly demobilized and its members sent back to
their duty stations around the state. But in view of the extreme fire
conditions, fire staff at ODF headquarters in Salem decided to hold the team in
the district. Their decision proved to be pivotal.
On Aug. 5, the Rowena Fire broke out west of
The Dalles. The fast-moving fire soon forced numerous evacuations. The next
day, the team redeployed to the new incident. While a State Fire Marshal’s team
positioned structural fire engines on residential streets, ODF firefighters battled
to keep the flame front away from threatened neighborhoods. Just one home was
lost. Had ODF’s fire team not already been in-district and able to take command
in only a few hours, the outcome could have been very different.
Though fire season ends Tuesday, burn permits
will still be required for any slash disposal or forest health burning. They are
available by contacting ODF. Homeowners wishing to do backyard burning should
check with their local fire department prior to burning.
The official closure of the season doesn’t eliminate the
need for vigilance. Ponte urged people to continue to be careful with fire when
working or recreating in the forest, and especially when doing backyard
burning.
“Escaped debris burns are the leading cause of wildfires
outside of fire season. People should not burn on windy days and never, ever
leave a burn unattended,” he said. “In central Oregon we can have wildfires
anytime during the year so for this part of the state, fire season never really
ends.”
In 2013, the Central Oregon District entered fire season June 14 and ended Sept. 30.
###
October 17, 2014
Following is a summary of various wildfire statistics for the Pacific Northwest Region (Oregon and Washington) in 2014 through Oct. 10:
-
To date, 1,260,088 acres in the Northwest have been consumed
by wildfire, which includes 846,945 in Oregon and 413,143 in Washington.
-
To date, there
have been a total of 128,513 lightning strikes. The single largest day in 2014
recorded 21,094 strikes.
-
The total cost
to date exceeds $458,732,493, which includes $278,652,132 in Oregon and
$180,080,361 in Washington.
October 13, 2014
The 15-acre 0962 Fire was reported Oct. 13 burning on private lands in the Central Oregon District and on the Ochoco National Grassland 10 miles NE of Prineville. The fire was in mop-up by late afternoon. Seven fire engines and one water tender were assigned to the fire. Two rural fire departments and the Bureau of Land Management worked with the Oregon Dept. of Forestry on the blaze. Cause is under investigation.
October 13, 2014
Halloween may be only two weeks away, but wildfires keep breaking out. Oregon Dept. of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service firefighters, along with private forest landowners, responded Oct. 13 to the 12-acre Rye Ridge Road Fire burning 35 miles north of the community of Enterprise. Four fire engines, two bulldozers and a helicopter with rappellers responded to the fire. It was in mop-up by late afternoon. Resources will remain at the fire through Tuesday and possible the day after. Cause is under investigation.
