Fire danger rises in Lake, Klamath counties

Klamath Falls, Ore. – The potential for wildland fires in Lake and Klamath counties is now at ‘high’.

The Bryant Fire is burning in an area about 5 miles south of Bonanza.

“Total fire acreage is about 32 acres right now.”  Explains Dennis Lee of the Oregon Department of Forestry.  “Crews have been out yesterday, did a really good job getting a handle on it.”

The fire hits just as fire danger is being upgraded for Klamath and Lake counties.

“We bumped up to ‘high’ fire danger.”  Notes Lee.  “We’re into July and August, which is the meat of our fire season.”

In addition, Lee says high winds, low humidity, and warming temperatures have triggered a ‘red flag’ warning.   “Red flag warning is really when the weather conditions are ripe for a fire to escape.”

Lee says fire lookout cameras and other technology are helping to provide an accurate picture of a wide area.  “Comes from a variety of sources and websites, and basically gets filtered into a mapping system, and it’s kind of a one-stop shop.”

But Lee points out the fire on Bryant Mountain is a reminder that fire danger has reached a high level.  “The fire danger is only going to go up from here.”

Investigators aren’t sure just what sparked the fire on Bryant Mountain.

It’s burning in an area where a fire burned four years ago.

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