Jackson County, Ore. — Rob Allen with the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest, he says more than 100 fires are burning in our area.
But he says there are a few things different about the Oregon Gulch.
“It’s lower down in the area than where the other ones are. A lot of it down there the fuel type that it was in it has grass and brush and opening rolling terrain which allowed it to get up and go.”
Another reason the blaze began growing rapidly is because of weather conditions created by the fire.
The hot air produced by the flames pushes cold air upwards.
“Eventually that cold air gets heavier than that warm air that’s coming up, and it can push back down on it self and that’s how it starts to create it’s own winds,” Allen said.
And as the winds spread, it adds more oxygen to the fire, making it hotter.
“When we are in a fire weather warning then, we know we have the potential for a larger fire to happen,” Allen said.
While the main priority remains the Oregon Gulch,smoke jumpers, helicopters, and ground crews are working in the higher elevations to make sure those fires don’t get out of hand.
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