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Rain sets off start of fire season Officials know weather won�t be wet for long By Paul Fattig In an odd twist, wet weather has sparked the beginning of fire season this year, not to mention putting a potential cap on planned outside high school graduation ceremonies. Concerned that the recent rain may cause many local residents to ignite their burn piles, which could result in countless escaped fires when the expected warm weather returns next week, the state Department of Forestry has decided to begin fire season at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. "Our decision is driven by what�s going to happen next week," explained Dan Thorpe, the department�s Medford Unit forester. "We wanted to eliminate the burn piles from being burned this weekend." Rain could push inside some high school graduation ceremonies for the class of 2000. If it pours, ceremonies at Ashland and Eagle Point high schools this evening will be inside their respective gymnasiums. The Ashland ceremony begins at 6 p.m.; the Eagle Point ceremony at 7:30. Graduation ceremonies at Phoenix High School Saturday evening, scheduled for Lithia Park �s Butler Bandshell at 6 p.m., would be held in the Southern Oregon University gymnasium if it rains. Rain would also force the Rogue River High School ceremony, set for 6:30 p.m. outside, into that school�s gymnasium. And visitors at the opening of the Britt Festivals in Jacksonville this evening may want to bring along rain gear just in case. The National Weather Service office at the Medford airport is calling for a chance of showers through Sunday. But Monday will be clear and dry with local high temperatures in the 80s, forecasters say. It was that forecast of the dry, warming trend, igniting the danger from smoldering burn piles, that is causing the start of fire season, Thorpe reiterated. "It�s not uncommon to see burn piles start back up after a couple of days and cause problems," he said, adding that the department had been responding to many escaped burn piles before the wet weather descended on Jackson and Josephine counties. Although the start of fire season means the end of open burning, residents in many areas will still be able to use burn barrels until June 30. However, they should check with their local fire departments before burning, since regulations in local jurisdictions often differ, Thorpe said. Barrel burning is only allowed between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Barrels must be in good condition, and the burning site must be free of vegetation in a 10-foot radius, nd have no overhanging limbs. The barrel must also be covered by a 14-gauge steel screen with mesh openings no larger than a quarter of an inch. Only wood or paper can be burned. Those using a burn barrel must have a shovel and a charged garden hose at hand. The fire must be attended until it is out. Before starting the burn barrel, residents must also determine if the air conditions are favorable for burning by calling 776-7007 in Jackson County or 476-9663 in Josephine County. Fire officials are urging residents, particularly those in rural areas, to cut grasses and brush from around a home to create a defensible space should a wildfire occur in the area later in the summer. "Not only does that give people an opportunity to save their house, but it also makes it safer for firefighters," Thorpe said. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA