Fire danger returned to high last week due to east winds, then dropped to low following the storm that came through the Sweet Home area Saturday.
The Industrial Fire Precaution was at Level II Monday, said Chad Calderwood, Oregon Department of Forestry Sweet Home Unit forest protection supervisor. The fire danger was balancing between low and moderate Monday.
Without moisture, he anticipated it increasing back to moderate this week, he said. The forecast is for possible showers this week, but the weather is unstable right now, making it difficult to predict more than three days out.
Saturday’s rainstorm arrived with thunder and lightning, and the Sweet Home Unit had eight lightning strikes, Calderwood said. Fire officials found five trees struck by lightning but no lightning-caused fires.
The Sweet Home Unit has received 71 calls so far this fire season, Calderwood said. Of those 13 are considered “stat” fires, which are calls where firefighters take significant action.
Last week, the Sweet Home Unit responded to one stat fire in the Brush Creek area for debris burning.