Dry Winds Raise Fire Concerns in Oregon

Strong easterly winds are forecast from Thursday afternoon through the weekend.

Helicopter gathering water near the recent Black Crater Fire Photo by Tim King

(SALEM, Ore.) - As the Santa Ana winds in California push wildfires to extremes, we are reminded that Oregon also experiences severe weather this time of year. In northwestern Oregon, easterly winds are commonplace in the late fall, and this is an annual concern for wildland firefighters.

"East wind events in this region of the state happen this time every year like clockwork. They can dry out wildland fuels quickly and drive fire danger back up to levels that most folks don't expect in the fall," said Jamie Paul, information officer with the Oregon Department of Forestry's North Cascade District.

With so many people currently doing their fall burning, she said, it is important to take precautions to prevent wildfires during these predictable weather events.

Strong easterly winds are forecast from Thursday afternoon through the weekend. Significant and sustained winds can dry out a previously burned pile enough to cause it to reignite. And gusts can carry embers a considerable distance. She recommends that landowners not burn at all on windy days.

"If you have burned within the past month, go back out and check your piles, as dry conditions are expected to last at least through Halloween," she said.

The department's Astoria District forester, Tom Savage, underscored the concern about debris burns coming to life again.

"A debris fire might not spread initially when ignited, but as the wind picks up later on it could rekindle," he said. "Wind can significantly change the fuel conditions out there."

Savage noted that a previously burned debris pile may no longer be smoking and appear to be dead out, but in can still harbor heat that requires only a dry wind to flare up and become a wildfire.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of landowners to make sure they are burning safely. Whether it is a homeowner lighting a pile of leaves in the backyard, or an industrial landowner burning piles of logging slash, the Department of Forestry encourages everyone to make sure that their fires don't escape or roar back to life. Use common sense when conditions are dry and winds are erratic, gusty or sustained, and don't burn during those times.

For more information, including questions on burn days and how easterly wind events affect burning conditions, contact the Oregon Department of Forestry or the local fire department.
Source: Oregon Forestry