SOUTHERN OREGON, —With Memorial Day just a week away, could the start of fire season be on the horizon? ODF has not yet declared fire season for Jackson or Josephine counties.
But because of how fire-prone our area is, ODF says the latest fire season could be declared on June 1st. In the meantime, they’re gearing up for its start. Spokeswoman Natalie Weber tells us it’s not ruling out a start before June 1st.
Declaring the start of the fire season has to do with the weather conditions. The interment rain southern Oregon has gotten lately, has played a role in pushing out the start of fire season.
Weber says it’s been operating with its year-round staff to handle incidents this spring. But within the next 3 weeks, it will bring on 130 seasonal staff. That includes firefighters, detection specialists, and dispatchers.
“Those folks will be onboarding at a staggering rate some May 31st and some mid-June but they will all be taking part in our fire school as paid training to get them ready for this fire season,” said Weber.
Weber says when fire season is declared it will begin in low fire danger.
The most significant change that comes with that is debris burning is prohibited across the board. She says once fire season starts, debris burning can be dangerous for you, your home, and your community as well. She urges people to be aware of restrictions.
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