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Fireworks touch off grass fires Firefighters issue reminder about matches, children Kids and fireworks proved an incendiary combination this weekend as they touched off blazes that scorched grassland near Ashland and Talent. Five engines and a water tender were called to the entrance of Emigrant Lake on Highway 66 outside Ashland at about 4 p.m. Saturday to quench a half-acre fire. And three engines from Jackson County Fire District 5, plus aid from the Phoenix Fire Department, were required at about 7 p.m. to halt a three-quarter-acre fire in the 200 block of West Valley View Road in Talent. Both fires were sparked by children playing with fireworks, said Capt. Scott Traina. "Any time you put a match to something, it puts out heat, and with dry grass, those become very volatile," he said. "Parents need to know that children must be supervised. It�s these types of incidents that make fireworks illegal." A third fireworks-related blaze was doused last week in White City. Area officials are bracing for the combination of hot weather, excited kids and available fireworks as the Fourth of July holiday approaches. A year-old state law prohibits sales of fireworks to children under age 16. Additionally, Oregon law bans fireworks that fly more than a foot into the air, explode, or move more than 6 feet on the ground. Possession of illegal fireworks can bring a $250 fine and parents are legally liable for damage from blazes set by their children. 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