| Daily Fire Update |
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| Fires |
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Updated Wednesday, October 10, 2007
FIRES
The Rawhide Fire9 miles northeast of Elgin has burned 280 acres of ODF-protected land and is 90 percent contained. The fire, which started Tuesday (10/9) at 3 p.m., is expected to be contained by noon today. It burned in grass and stands of ponderosa pine. Terrain is steep in parts and the fire was driven by high winds. Helicopter drops aided crews in slowing the fire's progress. Today, crews will concentrate efforts on securing a containment line around the fire and begin the process of mopping up (putting out hotspots within the perimeter). Resources on the fire today include 3 ODF engines, 2 Forest Service engines, 4 tenders, one Hot Shot crew and one Forest Service crew. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Anderson Butte Fire 3 miles south of Medford burned 25 acres Tuesday evening and was contained by 11:30 p.m. High winds of 40 mph whipped the fire that burned in grass and stands of madrone. It also destroyed a travel trailer. A rain shower at 10 p.m. helped fire fighters contain the blaze. Resources on the fire included 14 engines (6 ODF) and a dozer. ODF was assisted by Medford RFD, Applegate RFD, Jackson County FD #5 and BLM. Today, 5 engines are proceeding with mop-up. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
Other Fires:
For information on ongoing wildfires in other jurisdictions within Oregon, go to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center website, www.nwccweb.us/ and to the national Incident Information System website at www.inciweb.org/state/38/.
About this update:
ODF is responsible for fire protection on private and state-owned forestlands, and on a limited amount of other forestlands, including those owned by the U. S. Bureau of Land Management in western Oregon. However, because fires starting on one ownership may spread to others, and because of the need to share firefighting resources, agencies commonly work together closely.
This update focuses on firefighting activity on ODF-protected lands, and on ODF's role as a partner in fighting major fires that start on land protected by other agencies.
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| Fire Statistics (Department of Forestry protected lands) |
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January 1 through the current date for the 15.8 million acres of forestlands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry:
Lightning-caused fires: 365 fires have burned approximately 47,752 acres
Human-caused fires: 812 fires have burned approximately 5,048 acres
Total: 1,177 fires have burned approximately 52,800 acres
Ten-year averages
[These averages are listed bi-weekly in the department database, so figures for the closest date are included below.]
January 1 through October 15:
Lightning-caused fires: 295
Human-caused fires: 702
Total acres burned: 20,681
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| Protecting Homes from Wildfire |
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Protecting homes from wildfire
More than a quarter-million Oregon residences are located in areas at significant risk of wildfire. The best time to make one's home more survivable is between fire seasons, when the pressure is off. Simple steps such as trimming shrubs and trees away from the house and cutting back vegetation along the driveway to make it accessible to fire engines can be accomplished easily. In some situations, more extensive actions such as replacing a flammable wood shake roof could be in order.
More information on how to make a home survivable in the event of wildfire can be found elsewhere on this website.
Community wildfire protection plans
Residents of several Oregon communities have joined together to establish community wildfire protection plans. These strategies have proved successful at shielding neighborhoods and entire towns from the encroachment of wildfire. Information on how to develop a community plan is available on this site. In addition to lightening the burden of protecting homes through division of labor, a community wildfire protection plan can leverage federal grant dollars that are for the most part unavailable to the individual homeowner.
Protecting small woodlands
A well-managed forest is more resistant to wildfire damage than a brushy, overgrown forest. Owners of small woodlands can accelerate the growth of their timber, enhance forest health and reduce fire danger by selective thinning of tree stands and removal of excess brush. Department foresters are available to provide technical assistance to landowners on thinning. And for those unable to perform the work themselves, the department maintains a list of private contractors available for hire.
More info
For more information on wildfire and Oregon´s Fire Program, go to http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/fire.shtml.
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| Weather and Fire Danger Information |
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Click here for current fire weather and fire danger information.
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| Wildfire Smoke Forecasts |
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Click here for current wildfire smoke forecasts.
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| Fire Information |
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News media may contact the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters office for fire information, (503) 945-7200, weekdays during business hours. During fire season (generally from the last week of May through October), after business hours and on weekends, media may obtain fire info by calling pager (503) 370-0403. The duty officer will return media pages promptly. In addition, the department maintains a recorded fire update at (503) 945-7428. The FireFone is updated daily by 10 a.m., twice daily during peak fire periods. The daily fire updates are also posted on the Oregon Department of Forestry website.
Carelessness can destroy Oregon's beauty. Visit the Keep Oregon Green Association website and learn what you can do to prevent wildfires.
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