Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The burn ban remains in effect, according to Jim Basting of the Oregon Department of Forestry. Fire danger remains, and regulated use is still in effect.
The industrial precaution level remains at level one.
“We’re going to have a nice week next week,” Basting said last week. There is still potential for backyard burns to get away. We really haven’t had all that much rain yet.”
ODF was expecting “hot, dry east winds through about Wednesday” this week, Unit Forester Kevin Crowell said, and the burn ban and regulated use will remain in effect until further notice, following significant rainfall.
“There’s a lot of dry out there yet,” Basting said.
“We’re just asking folks with burn barrels, be patient,” Crowell said. “It’ll come.”
He suggests covering piles and burn barrels and waiting for the rains to come.
Warm weather was expected to taper off beginning Wednesday.
While fire danger remains, ODF’s Sweet Home Unit has had only one fire lately.
About two weeks ago, firefighters dealt with a small fire that started when a recreational fire got away. The U.S. Forest Service also dealt with a small fire at Clear Lake.
The 1,070-acre Middle Fork Fire has no visible smoke left on it, Crowell said, “but we know we still have heat out there.”
A two-man crew from the Sweet Home Unit has been monitoring the fire and busy putting water bars in the fire trails to divert water off to the side into the vegetation. The crew also is pulling brush across some fire trails, so they are not a temptation to all-terrain vehicle drivers.
ODF officials are still investigating the cause of the Middle Fork Fire, Crowell said, and Rocky Top and Boulder Creek roads, located in Bureau of Land Management forests, remain closed to the public, probably for most of the winter.