Sean C. Morgan
With some rainfall over the weekend, local fire danger levels fell to “moderate” and Industrial Fire Precaution Level II Monday morning in the Sweet Home area.
A chance of rain continues through the week, said Oregon Department of Forestry Sweet Home Unit Forester Craig Pettinger. He expected the weather will be similar to Monday’s occasionally overcast skies and morning rain.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a season-ending amount of rain,” Pettinger said. Heavier rains passed to the north of Sweet Home beginning Friday, while the South Cascades District caught the edges of it.
The fire danger level allows people to mow their lawns and use chainsaws until 1 p.m., Pettinger said. Fires are still banned outside of designated spaces in county campgrounds.
Fires are banned across the Willamette National Forest, including campgrounds.
The long-term forecast is a question mark, Pettinger said. Models are showing drastically different possibilities seven days out.
The Sweet Home Unit, which provides fire protection services on private and public lands around Sweet Home, has had 59 calls so far this season.
Of those, 12 are considered stat fires, which are calls where ODF personnel took significant action in response to a fire.
The last stat fire was at Scott Creek on land owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Sept. 3, Pettinger said. The fire was likely started by a vehicle.