Fire season to end on ODF-protected lands in Jackson, Josephine Counties

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – On October 1, the 2019 fire season will be over on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in Jackson and Josephine Counties.

ODF said recent cool weather and rains helped bring an end to what could be considered a relatively mild fire season. However, firefighters were still kept busy with 214 fires that burned a combined 324 acres. “This is a remarkable accomplishment for the District,” ODF explained, “as firefighters were able to keep more than 98% of fires under 10 acres.”

ODF said the biggest reason they were able to keep fires small was the resources. “This year across the region, across the west coast, we just haven’t had as many fires as we did last year,” said ODF Public Information Officer Natalie Weber, “so the resources that were tied up last year weren’t this year.”

Of the 214 fires, 52 were caused by lightning this year. In 2018, lightning caused 96 fires to spark in just one day. “Huge difference when it comes to lightning fires,” Weber said. “While we did have thunderstorms this year we had a lot of rain with them, so we didn’t get as many starts as we did last year.”

ODF said although fire season’s ending, the chance of a fire starting is always around, especially with an increase of prescribed burns. While the declaration includes state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forestlands in southwestern Oregon, many fire agencies still require permits for burning.

You can learn more about fire season and fire prevention at http://www.swofire.com

© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

Skip to content