Thunderstorms this afternoon resulted in numerous reports of smoke in Jackson County. Fires have been found in the Bishop Creek and Kane Creek areas. The largest so far is the fire in the Bishop Creek drainage, estimated at 6 acres. The fire area is approximately 1.5 miles SE of Ruch.
ODF crews are pursuing reports of smoke in the Galls Creek, Sterling Creek and Nugget Butte areas. Fire district crews are also following up on reports of smoke in the Lost Creek Lake, Indian Creek, and Sams Valley areas.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
It Isn’t Fire Season...Yet
Fire season has not begun on ODF-protected lands in southwest Oregon, but it is rapidly approaching. Based on fire season start and end dates over the past 42 years, fire season usually starts within the first two weeks of June and ends early in October. Its average length is 142 days.
After the start of fire season, ODF places restrictions on wildfire-causing activities, such as open burning. These are called regulated use restrictions. ODF also assigns a relative classification (called an adjective class) of low, moderate, high or extreme. The current classification is illustrated on “peacock” signs (there is one on the top left side of this page) that are posted throughout Jackson and Josephine counties, typically at fire stations and along rural highways. When fire season begins, the classification will be moderate – blue on the peacock signs. Regulated use restrictions at the start of fire season include an end to open burning (except in burn barrels through June, and only with a permit) and an end to all fireworks use on forestlands.
The start of fire season also means that people working in the woods on industrial projects, such as logging, must have fire-fighting tools on site, and provide watchman service. Fire prevention requirements increase on industrial operations as the fire danger goes up, and these increases are indicated in ODF’s posted industrial fire precaution levels, a four-level scale.
After the start of fire season, ODF places restrictions on wildfire-causing activities, such as open burning. These are called regulated use restrictions. ODF also assigns a relative classification (called an adjective class) of low, moderate, high or extreme. The current classification is illustrated on “peacock” signs (there is one on the top left side of this page) that are posted throughout Jackson and Josephine counties, typically at fire stations and along rural highways. When fire season begins, the classification will be moderate – blue on the peacock signs. Regulated use restrictions at the start of fire season include an end to open burning (except in burn barrels through June, and only with a permit) and an end to all fireworks use on forestlands.
The start of fire season also means that people working in the woods on industrial projects, such as logging, must have fire-fighting tools on site, and provide watchman service. Fire prevention requirements increase on industrial operations as the fire danger goes up, and these increases are indicated in ODF’s posted industrial fire precaution levels, a four-level scale.
So, while fire season hasn’t quite begun, it’s time to get ready.
Lightning Peppers Parts of Jackson County
A thunderstorm late Thursday fired a few lightning bolts into forestlands, but as of early Friday no fires were reported.
Most of the lightning activity was in the northeastern part of Jackson County, in the South Fork of the Rogue River watershed. A couple bolts landed in the Jack Spring area, located 22 miles east of Eagle Point and less than a mile north of Hwy 140. And a lone bolt came to Earth in the Little Applegate River drainage, in southern Jackson County.
According to the National Weather Service, thunderstorms will make another appearance today.
Most of the lightning activity was in the northeastern part of Jackson County, in the South Fork of the Rogue River watershed. A couple bolts landed in the Jack Spring area, located 22 miles east of Eagle Point and less than a mile north of Hwy 140. And a lone bolt came to Earth in the Little Applegate River drainage, in southern Jackson County.
According to the National Weather Service, thunderstorms will make another appearance today.
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