With temperatures expected to be in the 80s or low 90s this week, officials with the Oregon Department of Forestry are asking area landowners to use extra caution, especially when mowing cured grasses.
Although logging companies have been working under a regulated usage for some weeks, a new rule has been added this year in both the woods and throughout the district in regards to the moving of cured grasses.
District Forester Paul Bell said all mowing of dried and cured grasses with power driven equipment is prohibited between the hours of 1 and 8 p.m., except for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.
“We’re sitting at 60 percent of normal rainfall at this time,” Bell said. “If people need to mow, they need to do so before the afternoon.”
Assistant Forester Lee Vaughn said that the afternoon sun drops humidity and grasses can easily be ignited by sparks from a muffler, a hot exhaust pipe, grasses that accumulate on hot metal parts, or from the spark created when a blade strikes a rock or other hard object in the field.
“We’ve had fires caused by brush cutting,” Vaughn said.
So far this season, the district has experienced one fire caused by lightning, Vaughn said.
“The key is that we’re all spring loaded right about now,” Bell said. “We hit whatever is out there quickly. Our priority is stopping fires before they become a major problem.”
Vaughn said 1000 hour fuels are down to about 13 or 14 percent humidity which means they would be consumed in a heavy fire.
“We had some rain last week but before that, we went 28 days without significant rainfall,” Vaughn said.
Sweet Home’s fire suppression crew is on board but has loaned out firefighters throughout the season.
Vaughn said the district has recorded just 18.39 inches of rain as of the end of June compared with 30.65 inches for the same time period a year ago.
“Abandoned campfires continue to be a problem,” Vaughn said. “We are noticing that as the water level at Green Peter continues to drop, we’re seeing fewer abandoned campfires because fewer people are using the area.”
The ODF is asking the public to use extra caution and common sense this summer.
“We can’t control the weather but people can control their own actions,” Bell said.
Both Bell and Vaughn say that smatterings of rain provide a false sense of safety for many in the public.
“The little rain we’ve gotten just isn’t enough to decrease fire dangers,” Bell said. “The forest is very dry.”
Although neither the Linn nor East Lane districts have seen major fires this season, Bell said one on the East Lane district two weeks ago had the potential to be a serious threat.
Vaughn said he’s concerned that if there were a major fire, some water holdings areas that might be full during a normal year, would not be available during this drought year.
“Our normal spots might be dry or there might be too little to fill a tank,” Vaughn said.
Both Bell and Vaughn said this summer’s fire crew is “very professional.”
Vandalism appears to be up this year, Vaughn said, but so far, none of the small fires can be directly attributed to arson.
“Some of the area logging companies have had their equipment vandalized,” Vaughn said.
The general public an call 451-1904 to hear about closures and burning information.
To report a fire at at any time, call 9-1-1.