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51 °F 5 Day Forecast Wednesday, December 17, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 22, 2003 Fire season is still with us By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Dennis Turco didn’t need the 20-acre grass fire exploding along Dead Indian Memorial Road east of Ashland Tuesday to remind him that fire danger remains dangerously high. But the fire prevention specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry hopes it’s a sobering reminder to local residents that the potential for a wildfire didn’t end with summer. "Fire danger is still high," he said. "I don’t think we’ll get to the point where we’ll see a major fire now, but with the right winds, we could still see a large fire, and a dangerous fire as well." Thanks to quick action by Fire District No. 5 and the ODF, the fire was snuffed out around 8:30 a.m., an hour after it was reported. No structures were damaged. Advertisement Cause of the fire, located near Milepost 6 between the rock pit and Shale City Road, has not been determined. The fire, coupled with a 12-acre fire on Saturday near the community of Rogue River, demonstrates that a soaking rain is needed before fire season is declared over, Turco said. Fire season usually ends in mid-October in Jackson and Josephine counties. ODF firefighters protect private, county, state and U.S. Bureau of Land Management lands. "We’re on the long side for fire season right now," Turco said. "We’ve seen a little shower here and there but not enough to make any difference. "We’ve been kind of teased — all the moisture has headed to Washington," he added, referring to the deluge that has been flooding that state in recent days. The latest fire season since 1967 (when records were first kept) was in 1987 when it ended on Nov. 12, Turco said, noting it ended on Nov. 2 in 1988. The 2002 fire season didn’t end until Nov. 8. "I hope we’re not seeing a trend here," he said. But cooler temperatures and higher humidity have reduced fire danger a bit, he said. No large fires have swept through the area this fire season, he said. "We’ve been real fortunate — we’ve had the conditions to see tremendous fire activity this year," he said. However, efforts by the public to avoid starting wildfires, hard work by local firefighters and the fact an air tanker contracted by ODF was stationed at the Medford airport all helped to keep the season relatively mild, he said. Meanwhile, there is a chance of showers today in the region, according to weather forecasters. "It’s difficult to predict how much rain we’re going to get," Turco said Tuesday afternoon. "But it would have to be substantial (to end the season)." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times