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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 2021)
LOCAL Wallowa.com Wednesday, April 14, 2021 A7 Spring fi re season fl ares up in Eastern Oregon ODF, local fi re departments urge care when burning fence lines, ditches and debris MORE INFORMATION By ELLEN MORRIS BISHOP For the Wallowa County Chieftain WALLOWA — The words “spring” and “fi re season” might seem like oxymorons. But this year, dry grass, unpredictable winds and people unpre- pared for these conditions have sparked a larger-than- usual number of calls for fi re department assistance for blazes surging out of control. “It’s grass-burning sea- son,” Oregon Department of Forestry Wallowa Unit forester Matt Howard said. “People are doing the right thing, burning ditch lines and fi elds and what they usu- ally do to clean up around their property. But this year, too many of those fi res have gotten out of control.” The problems, How- ard said, are mostly that ... the folks who are burn- ing get too much fi re going, they don’t have enough per- sonnel on hand, they’re not watching the weather, the wind comes up or shifts, the fi re gets into some heavier fuel and it’s off to the races.” For example, on Wednes- day, April 7, brisk winds drove a fi re intended to burn a small pile of old hay through the surround- ing dry grass and ignited a century-old wood granary at a farm on Liberty Road. The granary was reduced to ashes and charcoal, but Enterprise, Joseph and ODF fi refi ghters controlled the blaze before it could jump to the adjacent vintage barn or the farmhouse. “It could have been a whole lot worse,” said Chief Oregon Department of Forestry/Contributed Photo The 17-acre Middle Point Ridge fi re may have started because a warming campfi re fi re set by recreationists or shed hunters was not fully extinguished and was fanned back into activity by wind gusts. Oregon Department of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service crews responded and extinguished it. Jeff ery Wecks of the Joseph Volunteer Fire Department. “We’ve had 10 fi re runs since April 1,” Howard said, and credited partner fi refi ghting organizations, including the Wallowa, Los- tine, Enterprise and Joseph fi re departments and USFS fi refi ghters for their critical roles in battling those blazes. But what really raised Howard’s concerns were the fi ve fi re calls to ODF and the other fi re departments on one day — Friday, April 9. “We are just having too many of these fi res,” he said. The fi res are often the result of negligence on the part of the burners, Howard noted. The old grass is tinder dry. And spring green-up hasn’t really started yet, Howard said. “When the new, green grass really gets to growing, it will cut down on the fi re danger,” he said. “But right now, I dread getting a call from Imnaha or Troy, where there’s lots of old, really dry grass that is very fl ammable fi ne fuel. We could have a real problem there.” On Friday a 17-acre wild- fi re about 19 miles north of Wallowa torched grass and understory on Middle Point Ridge, Howard said. It burned on Hancock ground and land of the Bureau of Land Management, and may have been started as a warm- ing fi re by a recreational group looking for shed ant- lers, Howard said. “Whoever started it just didn’t get it completely put out,” he said. “It was on an exposed westerly-aspect slope that caught sun and had dry grasses. When the wind picked up, like it did last week, we had a fi re that started in the fi ne fuels.” Dry conditions at low elevations around the state already have seen signifi cant fi res near Klamath Falls and Sisters, Howard said. Those events were mostly driven by wind in dry, fi ne fuels. “Once we declare fi re season in June or early July, ODF is not going to allow debris burning or even burn barrels,” Howard said. “I would encourage folks to do the right thing, be care- ful and burn debris if they need to or should. But there are a few things, includ- ing weather, wind and the resources to control the fi re they need to be mindful of.” He emphasized that he’s no newcomer to fi re season in the county. “I’ve been here for 21 years, and David Weaver has been here for 30 years, and to both of us, this is an abnormal amount of (spring) fi res in a short amount of time,” he said. “We’ve had some nice weather, but also cool mornings, so the grass hasn’t responded. And until we get some good green-up that will inhibit the spread of these fi res, we’re going to continue to have out-of- control fi res if people aren’t careful.” Oregon Department of Forestry recom- mendations for debris burning: 1) Check the weather. The best source is the Pendleton U.S. Weath- er service site which provides not only a weather forecast, but an hourly forecast that includes winds and wind gusts and their directions for any lo- cation chosen on their map. (www.weather. gov/pdt/) Or call the ODF offi ce for info on burning conditions at 541-886 2881 2) Anticipate chang- es in weather. When fronts move through, they bring increased winds. Don’t burn grass or debris if a change in the weather is imminent. 3) Don’t be too ambi- tion about how much you are going to burn at one time. Be sure you have adequate people, tools and water to keep your burn under control. “It doesn’t take much wind to push a fi re that moves faster than most people can run,” Howard said. 4) Do your burning is several smaller proj- ects rather than one large one. 5) Don’t leave your de- bris burn unattended. Make sure any burn is completely out before leaving. 6) Consider waiting another week or two to burn, when gree- nup will reduce the likelihood of a fi ne-fu- el fi re getting out of control and weather systems may be more stable. 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