Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Firefighters responded Wednesday afternoon to a series of small fires started by burning cottonwood seeds on Poplar and Quince streets.
The fire originated at 1350 Poplar St., Fire Chief Mike Beaver said. The resident, Rod Erickson, started his barbecue, which had cobwebs and cottonwood seeds built up inside it.
“When he lit it, fire just kind of went everywhere,” Beaver said. It blew over fences and started spot fires on that property and three others.
It damaged the siding of one home, a PVC water pipe, a fence, a clothesline and some shrubs.
“We got on it pretty fast and knocked it down pretty quickly,” Battalion Chief Doug Emmert said.
“Things are drier than people think,” he said.
“People shouldn’t be fooled by how green it is right now,” Beaver said. The fine fuels, like light grasses, are dry. Even though they’re green, they’ll burn.
Fire hazards come from several sources during the summer, such as the barbecue in this case; and firefighters have responded to several small fires that have caused problems already.
“It’s kind of unusual for as early as it is,” Beaver said.
The backyard burn season ends on June 15, Beaver said. He doesn’t know how many burn days are left before that date, but backyard burning is absolutely over that day. People who want to burn debris piles should call the burn number at 451-1904 to find out if it is a burn day.
Beaver outlined several summer fire hazards and urged people to take care using them.
Gas barbecues are a fire source and should always be lit with the lids open, he said. They don’t always light correctly and gas can build up inside if the lid is closed, causing a fire when it does light.
People using old briquette-style barbecues will inevitably dump the briquettes, Beaver said. He urges people to make sure they’re out by dumping water on them before dumping the used briquettes.
The briquettes are often a source for fires that damage homes, he said. Every year, there are structure fires that start from briquettes.
“When it’s windy out, it’ll flare right up,” he said.
The backyard burn ban will be extended by two weeks this year and not end until Oct. 15, Beaver said. Usually the ban is scheduled to end on Oct. 1. The fire chiefs of Linn County and the Oregon Department of Forestry have already decided to extend it, something they have done toward the end of the ban the last few years anyway.
It could be extended even longer, depending on weather, Beaver said.
Backyard burns must be tended, with water available, he said.
People need to be careful with cigarettes or any burning material, Beaver said. The fire department responds to several fires started by cigarettes every year. A large fire on Highway 228 last year was started by a cigarette thrown from a moving vehicle. The property owner was outside and able to build a line around the fire before it got too large.
The department often also responds to fires started by fireworks, Beaver said, and he urges people to use them carefully.
Another problem are backyard campfires, which are considered recreational fires, Beaver said. They’re usually started to roast hot dogs or marshmallows. Like backyard burns, there must be water available and cannot be left unattended.
The last couple of years the fire department has gone along with the ODF’s regulated use rules on campfires and prohibited them, Beaver said. The department will do that again this year, which means these recreational fires will not be permitted in town once ODF starts regulated use, typically around the Fourth of July.
“Fire resources get spread really thin” during the summer, Beaver said. Last year, urban and rural firefighters were spread across the state dealing with a number of fires, including a large one near Green Peter.
Those resources are already spreading thin this year as firefighters from across the nation, including Oregon, battle fires in Florida, New Jersey and Georgia. In Oregon, ODF had a fire Thursday near Crooked River that had burned around 300 acres and threatened about 50 homes.
“People need to be smart about stuff,” Beaver said. Many of the summer fires are caused by lightning, but Oregon is tinder dry already and other sources are preventable.
Over the weekend, the Sweet Home area, ODF-protected lands and the Sweet Home Ranger District had lightning storms, ODF Sweet Home Unit Forester Kevin Crowell said, but the ODF found no fires resulting from the storm.
In addition to warnings about fire danger, Beaver is reminding the public that Fire-Med subscription deadline is June 30. Call 367-5882 for more information.