Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Historical Society executive director stepping down ... Police say Grants Pass man admits to 50 vehicle thefts in Rogue Valley ... Sterlingville Cemetery cleanup will include insight into pioneers' hard lives ... Historical Society executive director stepping down ... Police say Grants Pass man admits to 50 vehicle thefts in Rogue Valley ... Sterlingville Cemetery cleanup will include insight into pioneers' hard lives ... FIRE DANGER Increased temps bring renewed fire risk High expected to hit 100 degrees Friday Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 9, 2015 at 4:28 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 9, 2015 at 4:28 PM » Social News State forestry officials say a new wave of hot weather has raised fire danger levels close to where they were a month ago, prompting local agencies to retain their firefighting resources for at least a bit longer. The National Weather Service has forecast a high of 100 degrees on Friday in Medford, in the midst of a string of mid-90s days. Officials have said the temperatures are 15 to 20 degrees above normal for this time of year, following recent highs as low as 69 degrees on Friday, Sept. 4. "Whatever gains we've made in past weeks, they're going to seem like a memory," said Brian Ballou, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Forestry. Ballou said the heat wave is likely to dry forest fuels to the same dangerous levels that sparked major fires earlier in the summer. "Here in the heart of the Rogue Valley, we didn't really get any rain," he said. He said the area is also starting to pick up some moderate winds which could also drive fire behavior over the next few days. Ballou said ODF's contracts for the two firefighting helicopters it's been using locally were about to expire, but the agency decided to renew them in light of the possibility of further fires. "We've extended them at least through the end of this week," he said, adding that ODF could extend the contracts further if necessary. Weather officials have said summer 2015 is Medford's hottest since temperature records started being kept in 1911. Two major fires in Southern Oregon, the 26,000-acre Stouts fire east of Canyonville and the 16,000-acre National Creek Complex near Crater Lake, have tied up firefighting resources for more than a month and flooded the Rogue Valley with smoke for weeks on end. Ballou said that even through the recent periods of mild weather, Jackson County has remained at Industrial Fire Precaution Level 3, requiring the shutdown of power tools and heavy equipment between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. on local forest lands. While the Stouts fire is believed to have been caused by a resident using a lawnmower in violation of fire season equipment restrictions, the National Creek fires and many of the smaller blazes that flared up in the region this summer are believed to have been caused by dry lightning. "One nice thing about September is we don't usually get much lightning," Ballou said, adding that when the valley does experience thunderstorms in the fall, they're usually accompanied by rain. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 9, 2015 at 4:28 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501