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SUNNY Temp: 64 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Friday, August 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection 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 Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 8, 2003 Crews hunt for sleeper fires By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Firefighters attacked 10 lightning-caused wildfires Thursday in the aftermath of Wednesday’s explosive thunderstorms that rolled through Jackson and eastern Josephine counties. All the fires were small and firefighters expected to be put them out quickly. Meanwhile, fire watchers atop lookouts, aboard aircraft and in rigs patrolling mountain roads are keeping their eyes peeled for more smoldering smokes. "I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we get more sleepers — we had 681 recorded downstrikes in Jackson County," said Dennis Turco, a fire-prevention specialist with the Oregon Department of Forestry in the two counties. Advertisement A sleeper is a fire sparked by a lightning bolt that takes a few hours or days to roar to life in an old snag or log. The rain accompanying the Wednesday evening storms may have helped douse many fires but definitely didn’t put them all out, Turco said. The storms dumped about a half-inch of rain in Medford, while Grants Pass received precious little, he noted. Seven of the fires were on wildlands protected by state crews. That includes private, county, state and Bureau of Land Management land. Three of the fires were discovered Thursday after the cloud layer lifted, revealing telltale wisps of smoke coming up from Buck Prairie just southwest of Ruch, from Boswell Mountain about six miles west of Shady Cove and from Bald Mountain a half-dozen miles southwest of Ashland. Four fires were also discovered and snuffed out Wednesday night on state-protected land near Lake Creek, Phoenix, Shady Cove and Wimer. Three fires sparked by the storm were discovered in the Rogue River National Forest on Thursday but none were reported in the Siskiyou National Forest, according to Forest Service spokeswoman Mary Marrs. Two fires were spotted on the Prospect Ranger District while a third was discovered in the Squaw Creek drainage of the Applegate Ranger District, she said. Firefighters on the ground and in the air were searching for more sleepers, she said. "We have two smoke-chasing teams out and about looking now," Marrs said Thursday afternoon. While the lightning-caused fires were expected, two human-caused fires Thursday afternoon kept state crews busy, Turco said. One near Merlin was kept to a quarter-acre but a blaze near Agate Lake spread to two acres before it was extinguished, he said. Those two fires, whose causes are being investigated, are a reminder that the fire danger hasn’t blown away with the storms, he said. "We’re keeping all the restrictions intact," he said. "It doesn’t take the grass very long to dry out with the record-setting fire conditions we’ve had this summer." But the rain has given the region a brief respite from extreme conditions, he said. "We’ve kind of dodged the bullet so far," Turco said, although noting August is often the worst time for fire behavior. "The public has done a pretty good job of helping us by being careful. We just need them to continue through the rest of the summer." 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