Document text
High fire danger starts weeks early It began later even in nightmarish 1987 By PAUL FATTIG The calendar may indicate it's mid-June, but Mother Nature has her mind set on mid-July. High fire danger went into effect today on wildlands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in Jackson and Josephine counties. Dry conditions have also sparked a partial "hoot-owl" - restrictions on afternoon use of chainsaws and other equipment - on portions of the Rogue River and Siskiyou national forests. "We're about three weeks ahead of schedule," said Mike Weltch, assistant fire staff officer for the Rogue River forest. "I've never seen it like this before," added the veteran of 28 fire seasons. Dry conditions were only about two weeks ahead of normal when the disastrous 1987 fires erupted in Southern Oregon, burning more than 100,000 acres, he noted. "It's a little ahead of that now," he said. Rainfall measured at the National Weather Station at the Medford airport for the year is just a sprinkle over 50 percent of normal. But the drought is even worse in many outlying areas, officials report, noting that streamflows in the Applegate River drainage are a third of normal. The partial hoot-owl is in effect on the Ashland and Applegate ranger districts in the Rogue River forest, and on the Illinois Valley, Galice, Chetco and Gold Beach districts of the Siskiyou forest. The restrictions, known as Industrial Fire Precaution Level II, prohibit the operation of power saws, cable yarding systems, blasting, welding or cutting of metal between 1 and 8 p.m. The high fire danger declaration by the ODF also places restrictions on activities on private, county, state and Bureau of Land Management wildlands. That includes restricting chainsaw use between 1 and 8 p.m. and campfires to designated campgrounds. It also means no fireworks of any kind, no off-road motorized vehicle use and smoking in wildland areas only in enclosed vehicles. However, many fire districts will allow burning in burn barrels through the end of the month, providing a permit has been acquired and burning is done only in the morning. Further information on the restrictions is available at local ODF or fire district offices. "We're entering high fire season much earlier than usual," said Dan Thorpe, Medford unit forester for the ODF. "That means the high fire season will probably be longer than usual. That probably equates to more fires." High fire danger doesn't usually go into effect until July and sometimes August, officials said. In 1993, fire season didn't even start until June 21, the latest start since 1967. Fire season began in mid-May this year. "This means there will be a lot more drying days for large fuels," Thorpe said, adding, "This could be like '87." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.