Cool, wet weather ends fire season
As autumn approaches, prospects for big blazes evaporate
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 11:04 AM PDT
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| BOB PENNELL | Associated Press
A fire retardant plane comes in low over a grass fire that threatened homes in Medford, at the edge of the city, Thursday. |
PORTLAND (AP) — Widespread rainfall in Oregon has some firefighters celebrating.
‘‘That big clunk you heard Sunday morning was the end of fire season,’’ Matt Reidy, the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest’s fire management officer said. ‘‘We just got nailed. And it was a nice, slow, gentle rain that really soaked in. Exactly what we needed.’’
Lightning had touched off fires in Eastern Oregon Friday.
But the weekend rains were plentiful enough for Reidy to tell the Baker City Herald that as soon as things dry out a bit, attention would now turn to setting fires — prescribed burning to thin forests and make them healthier.
‘‘We’ll be looking forward to a good prescribed burning season this fall,’’ he said.
Elsewhere in Oregon:
— The Royce Butte Fire on the Deschutes National Forest was contained. Last week, it sent residents from their homes hear Crescent along Oregon 58.
— The Doubleday Fire that burned to within 1.5 miles of the Southern Oregon town Butte Falls also was declared contained on Sunday.
— Cool, wet weather moved over the Lonesome Complex fire that burned a finger into the Crater Lake National Park, but firefighters reported it’s still advancing.
— Progress was reported against the persistent Gnarl fire on Mount Hood. Mountain subdivision homes remain evacuated, but firefighters said they’ve drawn longer lines around the timbered area that burned for weeks, subsided and then flared again in hot, dry weather.
— The weather also helped firefighters dealing with the Rattle Fire burning mostly in the Boulder Creek Wilderness. Oregon 138, which was closed was reopened.
