July 8, 2014
Associated Press, KTVZ, 07-08-14
Hot, dry weather and a threat of thunderstorms are increasing the wildfire danger in much of Oregon.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for critical fire weather conditions from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday in an area that includes the east slopes of the central Cascades and areas around the cities of Bend, Madras, Redmond and Prineville.
Temperatures are expected in the 90s, and forecasters say lightning from scattered thunderstorms could spark wildfires.
Lightning is also expected Tuesday afternoon in a band of southern Oregon stretching from Jackson County west of the Cascade Range to Harney County in the eastern section of the state.
The hot weather is expected to last through the week.
July 3, 2014
July 3,
2014
Contacts:
Greg Wagenblast,
541-726-3588, gwagenblast@odf.state.or.us
Link Smith,
541-935-2283, gsmith@odf.state.or.us
Hot, dry weather has arrived, and the Department of Forestry
asks Oregonians to be mindful of the wildfire risk over the Fourth of July
weekend.
“If you’re going camping, check with the landowner to learn
whether campfires are permitted,” South Cascade District Forester Greg Wagenblast
said.
In areas where campfires are allowed, take precautions to
ensure the fire doesn’t escape to become a wildfire. The Keep Oregon Green
Association lists helpful tips for a safe campfire at: www.keeporegongreen.org/.
Fireworks have no place in the forest and should be left at
home. This time of year the woods are an abundant fuel bed of grass, trees and
shrubs that can be ignited by the sparks and flames from even legally sold
fireworks.
Residents of Lane and Linn counties are reminded that
backyard burning is banned for the season.
Oregon law now prohibits the use of exploding targets,
tracer ammunition and sky lanterns in the forest during wildfire season.
“We ask people to exercise caution as they recreate this
holiday weekend,” he said. “Fire season is just ramping up in the region, and
we likely have a long one ahead of us.”
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July 2, 2014
The lightning-started Woods Creek Fire near the community of Days Creek in SW Oregon resulted from a thunderstorm that moved over Douglas County Wednesday morning. Eighty-five
lightning strikes were recorded. Douglas Forest Protective Association firefighters are patrolling
storm-affected areas by ground and air to locate any additional fire
starts.
June 23, 2014
Because of its efforts to reduce the vulnerability of homes and landscapes to wildfire, the Barton Road Community near Azalea has earned Firewise Communities/USA® recognition from the National Firewise Communities Program.
The Barton Road Firewise Community worked with the Douglas Forest Protective Association to conduct a wildfire hazard assessment, specific to their community. These findings were used to develop an action plan to address wildfire safety concerns found within the Barton Road area. Residents and fire officials then worked together to implement the action plan.
“It is important that communities take an active role in addressing wildfire concerns in their neighborhood,” says DFPA Fire Prevention Specialist Kyle Reed. “Creating defensible space before a fire begins helps protect homes and provides a level of safety for firefighters in the event of a wildfire.”
Barton Road is the fifth community in Douglas County to earn Firewise Community recognition, and joins 51 other Firewise Communities throughout Oregon. Nationally, more than 1,000 communities have been recognized since the program’s inception in 2002.
Douglas County communities interested in earning Firewise recognition should contact Kyle Reed with the Douglas Forest Protective Association for more information, 541-672-6507 ext. 136.
June 21, 2014
An Oregon Dept. of Forestry incident management team took command of the firefighting effort on the Bryant Fire in the Klamath-Lake District the afternoon of June 20. Size of the fire is currently 838 acres. The fire was reported Thursday afternoon burning on private forestlands east of the community of Klamath Falls.
June 20, 2014
The Bryant Fire reported Thursday afternoon burning 20 miles east of Klamath Falls on the NE end of Bryant Mountain has grown to 800 acres. The fire is burning in an active logging operation in felled and bucked timber on steep, rugged terrain. The fire is spotting in all directions.
Gusty winds are predicted for this afternoon and evening, which could challenge firefighters. The fire is expected to grow in size today. The Oregon Dept. of Forestry is leading the fire suppression effort.
Resources involved in initial attack on the fire Thursday included: two heavy air tankers, two single-engine air tankers, one helicopter, and hand crews, fire engines, bulldozers and fire management (overhead) personnel. Many resources will be working the fire today.
Cause of the fire is under investigation.
June 19, 2014
The 20-acre Bryant Fire was reported 3:30 p.m. June 19 burning in the Klamath-Lake District 20 miles east of Klamath Falls on private forestland. Resources assigned to the fire include: two air tankers, one helicopter, 14 fire engines, two bulldozers and two water tenders. JWTR, LLC, a Klamath Falls-based timber management company, is assisting the Oregon Dept. of Forestry with the firefighting effort.
Cause is under investigation.
June 19, 2014
The 15-acre Modoc Fire was reported midday June 19 burning near Table Rock in the Southwest Oregon District. Oregon Department of Forestry and Jackson County Fire District No. 3 are fighting the fire, which is burning in grass and oak fuels. the fire is 70 percent hose-lined.
Resources at the fire include: eight fire engines, one hand crew, one helicopter (provided by the U.S. Forest Service) and two bulldozers.
Cause of the fire is under investigation.
June 19, 2014
The Oregon Dept. of Forestry expects to achieve 85 percent containment of the 20-acre Owens Fire, located about 12 miles south of the community of Hood River, by Thursday evening, June 19. The fire is currently 65 percent contained. Full containment may be a few days off, due to the felled timber, but fire behavior is minimal and spread is not expected.
Firefighters have completed lines around the fire. Steep terrain and heavy fuels posed a challenge when the fire broke out early Wednesday morning.
Today three fire engines, four hand crews and several fire management (overhead) personnel are on site. The helicopter working the fire Wednesday has been released. Cause of the fire has not been confirmed, but ODF investigators are focusing on the timber harvest activity.
The U.S. Forest Service assisted ODF with equipment and personnel in the firefighting effort.
The Owens Fire occurred on forestland owned by Hood River County.
June 19, 2014
The Oregon Dept. of Forestry expects to achieve full containment of the 20-acre Owens Fire, located about 12 miles south of the community of Hood River, by 7 p.m. Thursday, June 19. The fire is currently 65 percent contained.
Firefighters have completed containment lines around the fire. Steep terrain and heavy fuels posed a challenge when the fire broke out early Wednesday morning. The fire burned in felled and bucked timber from an active harvest operation.
Today three fire engines, four hand crews and several fire management (overhead) personnel are on site. The helicopter working the fire Wednesday has been released. Cause of the fire has not been confirmed, but ODF investigators are focusing on the timber harvest activity.
The U.S. Forest Service assisted ODF with equipment and personnel in the firefighting effort.
The Owens Fire occurred on forestland owned by Hood River County.
June 19, 2014
The estimated size of the Owens Fire burning south of the community of Hood River has been revised downward to about 12 acres. The blaze reported in the early morning June 18 spread rapidly in dry logging slash, then slowed as it exhausted the hot-burning fuel source. Oregon Department of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service firefighters achieved 10 percent containment by early afternoon, with full containment expected by 6 p.m. Thursday.
The fire, originally estimated at about 50 acres, is burning on forestland owned by Hood River County 12 miles south of Hood River. Steep, rugged terrain on part of the site posed a challenge to firefighters constructing line around it.
Forest conditions are extremely dry across most of Oregon. The department urged Oregonians to be especially mindful of fire safety when recreating in the outdoors.
June 18, 2014
The approximately 50-acre Owens Fire burning about 10 miles south of the community of Hood River was 10 percent contained by 1:30 p.m. today. Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) fire managers expect to achieve full containment by 6 p.m. June 19. Burning on Hood River County forestland, the blaze spread rapidly this morning through dry logging slash, pushed by wind. Once the slash was consumed and the fire moved into reprod timber, the behavior moderated, enabling firefighters to make gains. By late afternoon today firefighters had nearly completed fire line around the perimeter of the blaze.
The Hood River County Forester said the slash that burned – from a timber harvest three weeks ago – was just starting to turn red. The area that burned contained felled timber, mostly Douglas-fir with some Ponderosa pine.
Firefighters will likely need to monitor the site for flare-ups throughout the rest of the fire season.
Firefighting resources currently on scene include: several hand crews, fire engines, bulldozers and water tenders.
Cause of the Owens Fire is under investigation. Since it occurred on an active timber harvest operation, Oregon Dept. of Forestry investigators are focusing on logging activity as the likely cause.
The U.S. Forest Service is assisting ODF in the suppression effort and has provided equipment and personnel.
June 18, 2014
The 15-acre Orchard Ridge Fire reported at 2 p.m. Tuesday burning in The Dalles Unit of the Central Oregon District was contained by 4 p.m. It is burning in grass and sagebrush. Resources deployed to the blaze include six fire engines and one bulldozer. Cause is under investigation.
June 6, 2014
The mountain snowpack is small statewide, and ODF’s meteorologists expect snowmelt to occur sooner than average. That could set the stage for early-season fires in higher altitude areas. At this point, predictions are for an above-average wildfire season across most of the state with the hotspot likely to be south-central Oregon. Drought conditions throughout the southern portion of Oregon are expected to dry out forest fuels, creating a volatile situation this summer. In 2013, intense thunderstorms with little precipitation ignited several large fires in southwestern and central Oregon, leading to the worst season in 60 years on state-protected lands. If widespread dry lightning occurs in 2014, Oregonians should expect another active fire season.
May 28, 2014
Seven Oregon Department of Forestry personnel are currently in Alaska assisting incident management teams there battling large wildfires. It is common for ODF to dispatch “overhead” (specially trained fire managers) to other states and provinces to help its sister agencies prior to the peak of fire activity in Oregon. These out-of-state deployments provide valuable training and experience. Wages are paid by the hosting agency.
May 27, 2014
The Pompadour Drive 55 Fire burned 13 acres in grass fuels three miles northeast of Ashland on Memorial Day. The blaze was in mop-up by Tuesday morning. Jackson County Fire District 5, Ashland Fire & Rescue and Oregon Dept. of Forestry responded to the fire, which spread rapidly due to shifting winds. One residence was threatened but survived unscathed, due to the owner having previously mowed the unirrigated grass around the home. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
May 23, 2014
Sitting around a campfire is one of the special times we all enjoy. But when humidity is low and wind high, grass and debris can become tinder for a stray campfire ember. Here are a few suggestions to help ensure that your campfires will be safe now and throughout the summer:
Call before you go – Call your local forestry or fire district to learn if there are any current campfire restrictions.
Select the right spot – Maintained campgrounds with established fire pits provide the safest venue for campfires. If campfires are allowed outside campgrounds, avoid areas near your tent, structures, vehicles, shrubs and trees, and be aware of low-hanging branches overhead. Clear the site down to mineral soil, at least five feet on all sides, and circle your campfire site with rocks. Store your unused firewood a good distance from the fire.
Keep your campfire small – A campfire is less likely to escape control if it is kept small. A large fire may cast hot embers long distances. Add firewood in small amounts as existing material is consumed.
Attend your campfire at all times – A campfire left unattended for only a few minutes can grow into a costly, damaging wildfire. Staying with your campfire from start to finish until dead out is required by state law, to ensure that any escaped sparks or embers can be extinguished quickly.
Never use gasoline or other accelerants (flammable or combustible liquids) to start or increase your campfire. Once the fire is ignited, wait until the match is cold and then discard it in the fire.
Always have water and fire tools on site – Have a shovel and a bucket of water nearby to extinguish any escaped embers. When you are ready to leave, drown all embers with water, stir the coals, and drown again. Repeat until the fire is DEAD out.
Make sure it’s out – Completely extinguish your campfire before leaving. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave. A campfire that appears to be extinguished can harbor heat for weeks. Then, a warm day with a little wind can rekindle the “sleeper fire” into flames.
Burn only wood – State regulations prohibit the open burning of any material that creates dense, toxic smoke or noxious odors.
Escaped campfires are costly – The Oregon Department of Forestry spent more than $160,000 in 2013 to suppress unattended and escaped campfires. State law requires the proper clearing, building, attending and extinguishing of open fires any time of year. A first-time citation carries a $110 fine. If your campfire spreads out of control, you are responsible for the cost of fire suppression. This can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.
Other Wildfire Awareness Month tips
During Wildfire Prevention Month visit the Keep Oregon Green website, www.keeporegongreen.org/, for other fire prevention tips.
May 9, 2014
This spring, please be mindful of the growing potential for wildfires and follow basic fire safety rules and precautions. The heaviest activity is in the summer, but fires occur all seasons of the year.
When it comes to preventing wildfires, there’s a lot at stake – lives, personal property, and the many values provided by Oregon’s forests. In 2013, three firefighters died battling Oregon wildfires. Timber losses totaled about $370 million, and the fires decimated key fish and wildlife habitats. Homes and outbuildings were destroyed as well.
Wildfires that occur in the wildland-urban interface often are started by human activity and then spread to the forest. Once underway a fire follows the fuel, whether it is trees or houses.
“Simple prevention strategies will make the strongest impact in keeping your home, family and community safe,” said Kristin Babbs, president of the Keep Oregon Green Association.
Spring is the perfect time, she said, to remove dead flammable vegetation and limb up trees around the backyard.
November 25, 2013
[Following is an excerpt from Oregon State Forester Doug Decker’s Nov. 25 message to Oregon Dept. of Forestry personnel.]
Though the fires are out and the smoke has now cleared, I know you’ll agree with me that the 2013 fire season is still with us, and will be for some time. We were busy last week in the Oregon Legislature talking about fire, and I wanted to pass along some good news about the latest milestone related to this last fire season.
We brought three key financial items before the legislature last Thursday and Friday, all of which were met with strong support, allowing us to continue ahead with bill paying, and with preparing for the 2014 fire season. Last week’s Legislative Emergency Board strongly affirmed our work by approving our request for increased spending authority, including the $2 million from the Special Purpose Appropriation, and agreeing to take up our request for an additional $40 million in General Fund money during the February 2014 legislative session. During three legislative committee meetings on Thursday and Friday, legislators went out of their way to thank all firefighters and the department for its work last summer. Woven through the conversations was a strong interest in minimizing future fire risks through active forest management, and concerns about the long-term impacts of climate change.
On Wednesday, I participated in a panel discussion with the Bureau of Land Management and a private landowner representative in front of the Senate Rural Communities and Economic Development Committee on the topic of post-fire recovery. I was proud to highlight the Southwest Oregon District’s swift response on the fire salvage work underway on state forests burned in the Douglas Complex – though not a lot of acres – still an important demonstration for us as forest stewards of our state forests. There is a lot of interest from this committee – especially on the topic of federal forests management.
Last week’s support from the Oregon Legislature and ongoing support from the Governor’s Office is in harmony with what we’ve heard during the recent fall fire protection association meetings now underway. During these sessions, landowners and cooperators have candidly and sincerely expressed their thanks to the department.
October 3, 2013
Standing shoulder to shoulder on the fire line this summer with agency and private sector personnel were firefighters from Oregon’s correctional institutions. Each year the state departments of Corrections (DOC) and Forestry (ODF) team up to select and train inmate hand crews for dispatch to wildfires. During the severe 2013 fire season, the inmates put up some impressive numbers. Some 829 inmates from nine institutions logged 568 crew days at 36 different fires around the state.
Inmates selected to serve on the 10-person hand crews complete the same nationally certified firefighter training course as their civilian counterparts. They learn the essentials of wildfire behavior, firefighting techniques, communication and safety.
Filling an equally important role are the inmate camp crews. Drawn from prison kitchen facilities where they have been trained in food service, these inmates staff ODF’s mobile kitchens at large fires, serving meals day and night to two shifts of firefighters.
“We are pleased to continue a strong partnership with ODF, especially given this unprecedented fire season,” said DOC Director Colette S. Peters. “Our collaboration reduces costs for the state and provides meaningful work opportunities for adults in custody, which helps prepare them for re-entry to the community.”
In fulfilling Oregon law which requires inmates to contribute economically to the state, the crews tallied substantial cost savings when compared to hiring regular workers for the same tasks. On the Douglas Complex fires alone, use of inmates shaved an estimated $1.2 million off the total. Statewide, millions were saved due to inmate labor and the partnership with Corrections.
ODF’s Chris Hall commended the inmates and crew supervisors he worked with on the Rabbit Fire, one of the fires making up the Douglas Complex: “Your professionalism and constant attention to detail showed. With an excellent safety record and your firefighting skills, we were able to catch and hold a most difficult fire in steep, rough terrain.”
Inmates selected for the fire and camp crews are low-risk offenders. The hundreds of inmate crew shift deployments during the 2013 fire season were without incident.
