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CLEAR Temp: 73 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, June 8, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 4, 2003 Tall grass, hot sun spark fire season By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Flaming afternoon temperatures are setting off the start of the 2003 fire season in Jackson and Josephine counties. Beginning Friday, open burning will be prohibited on land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in the two counties. That includes all private, county, state and Bureau of Land Management land. Many other jurisdictions, including the city of Ashland, also are launching the annual fire season on Friday. Advertisement After a cool, wet spring, the recent high temperatures — predictions call for the high 90s by Thursday — quickly dry out the tall grass, increasing the potential for an escaped burn, said Dennis Turco, fire prevention specialist for the ODF. "We haven’t seen a whole lot of wildfires yet, but when we have a late spring like this, cool and damp, then it becomes hot and dry, it’s like turning on a light switch," he observed. That doesn’t mean the fire season, which usually begins in early June, will be a repeat of last summer’s historic burns, he said. "It’s starting out to be what I’d consider a typical season," he said. The 1,000 hour fuels — downed logs that typically take that long to dry out — have twice the amount of moisture they did at this time last year, he noted. Annual precipitation was well below normal the past two summers. Last year’s fire season included the nearly half-million acre Biscuit fire in the Siskiyou National Forest, the largest in the nation. This year, the rainfall since Sept. 1 is nearly 6 inches above normal for early June. The above-normal rainfall has also spawned the growth of grass and other vegetation that will quickly dry out with the onslaught of hot weather, Turco said. "But what the season holds will depend on the type of weather we get through the summer," he said. However, because of budget constraints, ODF won’t have its annual seasonal work force on duty until July 1 and won’t have a helicopter on contract. Residents, particularly those in rural areas, can help by reducing the fire threat around their homes and being extremely careful when out in the woods this summer, Turco said. "Last fire season was a wake-up call for a lot of folks," he said. "People made some good headway on reducing fire hazards on their property." He urges property owners to cut dry grass and clear brush away from houses and outbuildings. For those who start a fire, either intentionally, maliciously or through negligence, state law allows ODF to recover the costs of fighting a wildfire, he said. "Oregon has reached a point where it can’t afford to have wildfires as a result of carelessness," Turco said. Fire season regulations also prohibit fireworks and restrict campfires to fire pans or fire blankets on sand and gravel bars on portions of the Rogue River. Loggers must also have firefighting equipment and a fire-watch service at logging operations. For further information, check with your local fire department or the ODF at 664-3328. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search 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 A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley 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