PENDLETON — The fire started when a wire detached from a power pole, igniting the grass near Perkins Avenue and 17th Place in Pendleton on Wednesday, May 5. Then, the snapped wire’s electrical current met the ground behind the Red Lion Hotel, starting a second fire.
Firefighters eventually contained the blaze, but Pendleton Fire Chief Jim Critchley said if conditions were even slightly drier, it may have been a different story.
“We’re lucky today because we still have some green in our grasses,” he said. “But if this were to happen later on in the season, that would have caused a bigger problem.”
Some Eastern Oregon fire chiefs are concerned that the county’s already dry conditions could lead to an increased risk of vegetation fires heading into a summer where drought is consuming much of Oregon.
“We’ve been worried about this for a while,” Critchley said. “We’ve got flash fuels. So they’re going to move fast, especially right now when everything’s (growing) or is just starting to dry out.”
Boardman Fire Chief Mike Hughes said his team is currently responding to roughly four vegetation fires each week in the Boardman and Irrigon areas. Critchley said Pendleton firefighters are responding to “one or two a week.”
“We’ve been running to vegetation fires every day,” Hughes said. “Every single day we’re on controlled burns that have gotten out of control because the winds came up.”
Critchley and Hughes each said fires are occurring earlier this season than normal, attributing it to this year’s lack of moisture.
“This is early in the season, so we’re a little bit concerned that, already, we’re catching these little grass fires so early,” Hughes said. “Because you remember what happened last year in Oregon. The whole other part of the state tried to burn down.”
Umatilla County Fire District Chief Scott Stanton said he has yet to notice an uptick in vegetation fires in his district, which covers areas around Hermiston and Stanfield, but added he had not taken a look at the recent data. He added with the predictions showing a drier, warmer summer, he’s worried there could be an earlier start to fire season.
“It could be a busy year,” he said. “And that’s what they’re forecasting at the state level — that this could be another busy year.”
Conditions rival driest on record
The fires come as some areas of Umatilla County report conditions that rival the driest on record.
The month of March was the sixth driest on record in Pendleton and the second driest in Hermiston. And in April, conditions hardly improved, with Pendleton reporting the seventh driest month on record and Hermiston the third driest, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton.
Since October 2020, precipitation in both Umatilla and Morrow counties have been reported “well below normal,” according to Marilyn Lohman, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Pendleton.
With much of the county already experiencing some level of drought, the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners last month unanimously declared a drought disaster and asked Gov. Kate Brown to follow suit.
And last week, the Morrow County Board of Commissioners declared a drought and sent a letter to Brown. The resolution, dated April 28, stated that half the county is experiencing severe drought conditions, while the rest is either experiencing moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions.
“There is a potential for Morrow County agricultural and livestock, natural resources, recreational and tourism, and related economies to experience widespread and severe damage resulting in extreme weather conditions in the County,” the letter stated.
The declarations come as more than three-fourths of the state is already in some stage of drought. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center has said drought will likely continue throughout the summer in Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting on Monday, May 3.
What residents can do
Fire officials pointed to several different common causes for vegetation fires, including illegal fireworks, cigarette butts, downed power lines, controlled burn piles being kicked up by the wind, and even vehicles and lawn mowers moving through dry grass.
They also noted several things that residents can do to prevent fires from sparking in their communities.
Critchley said it’s important for homeowners and landowners to create a “defensible space” by “making sure that grasses or light fuels are mowed down within 30 feet of your residence.” In addition, he advised that homeowners clear dry leaves out of roofs and gutters, and move flammable materials like wood piles away from their homes.
Stanton said for his district, residents should adhere to burning regulations and remain “extra cautious and careful, because it is extra dry.”
If residents have questions about how to mitigate the risk of fires, Critchley advised they contact their local fire departments for advice. He also advised residents to check the department’s Facebook page for updates and guidance.
“Fire is just part of our lives,” Critchley said. “We just need to make sure that it doesn’t injure anybody or damage property too much. That’s what we’re trying to stay in front of.”
May 08, 2021 at 07:00PM
https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/fire-officials-voice-concerns-as-vegetation-fires-pick-up-region-reports-dry-conditions/article_9a7a2bb2-af48-11eb-8702-0f1cc95c494f.html
Fire officials voice concerns as vegetation fires pick up, region reports dry conditions - East Oregonian
https://news.google.com/search?q=dry&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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