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CLEAR Temp: 67 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, July 0, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend June 11, 2002 As temperatures rise, fire season officially begins By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune With the mercury expected to rise to 90 degrees by mid-week following a relatively dry spring, officials are starting the 2002 fire season today. Open burning is now prohibited on state, county, private and Bureau of Land Management lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. Firefighters, conditions limit Roxy Ann Peak blaze Moist grass and low winds helped limit a Monday afternoon grass fire to one acre on Roxy Ann Peak in the far eastern corner of Medford, firefighters said. The 2:38 p.m. fire ignited in grass and brush off Roxy Ann Road on a city-owned lot near the Prescott Park boundary, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. State forestry and Medford firefighters, armed with four engines and a bulldozer, spent about an hour controlling the fire, state forestry dispatcher Teri Frazier said. The cause was still under investigation Monday, Frazier said. When firefighters arrived at the scene, the blaze occupied about a half-acre and was moving slowly despite burning on a relatively steep incline, state forestry spokesman Dennis Turco said. Despite the early June heat of Monday, the grass and brush there remained quite moist for this time of year, Turco said. Coupled with a lack of heavy afternoon winds, the fire crept rather slowly along the terrain, he said. But firefighters were still nervous enough that they called for a private helicopter to drop buckets of water on the blaze, Turco said. The fire was under control before the helicopter could attack flames, so it was canceled, he said. "Things are starting to heat up in the West," observed Dan Thorpe, Medford Unit forester for the Oregon Department of Forestry. More than 600 acres have been burned by the Fork Fire near the Forks of the Salmon in the Klamath National Forest in Northern California. Officials say the cause of the fire was traced to a backyard debris burn. "We’ve had flames as high as 40 feet," said forest spokeswoman Penny Melum. "The terrain is very steep. It’s almost inaccessible." About 300 firefighters and support staff were battling that blaze Monday afternoon with another 200 ordered. Air tankers were dropping fire retardant on the fire from an emergency base at Montague. Fire season in Jackson and Josephine counties normally starts in mid-June. Thanks to a drought, fire season began on May 15 in the two counties last year. Although the region has had near normal rainfall this past winter, last year’s extended drought left its legacy, Thorpe said. The problem is that the moisture content in the large "fuels" — dead and down trees — remains drier than normal, he explained. "The big material haven’t recharged from the drought year," he said. "When those trees get going, they put off a lot of heat and create firefighter and suppression problems. "You have to attack them from a little farther way," he added. "They can work up a big head of steam and turn into a plume-dominated fire that is much more dangerous to fight." Thorpe is encouraging rural homeowners to take steps now to defend their homes against wildfires. Preventive measures include everything from removing flammable brush near a home to removing dry leaves from rain gutters. "We still have some time before the next level of restriction starts," Thorpe said. "People can cut grass now before it dries out. They ought to be getting the grass down now." The problem is that dry grass and brush serve as a ladder for the fire to climb trees, he said. "Anything we can do to keep the fire down on the ground helps a lot," he said. Firefighting experts from the ODF will inspect rural homes at no cost to make recommendations on how to reduce threats from wildfires. In Jackson County, call the ODF at 664-3328; in Josephine County, call 474-3152. "We’ve had an occasional backyard burn that gets away so far this spring," Thorpe said. "But those are signs the time is coming for fire season." Although open burning is prohibited with the start of fire season, burn barrels are still allowed in many rural areas. Burn barrel permits can be obtained from local fire departments or the ODF. All outdoor burning, including the use of burn barrels, will be prohibited beginning July 1 in the two counties. Commercial operators on forested land are now required to have fire equipment on site and provide a fire watch. Campfires and smoking on the wild and scenic section of the lower Rogue River will be permitted only between the river and the high-water mark. Campfires in that area are restricted to fire pans or fire blankets. 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 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S