Rain and wind are coming to southwest Oregon this weekend, and so is the start of bow hunting season. Will the rain bring an end to fire season? No. Will it reduce the fire danger level? A little bit. Maybe.
Watch this space on Saturday for information about any changes to the fire danger level.
Meanwhile, hunters and other visitors to the woods this weekend are urged to pay attention to fire season regulations. Campfires are allowed only in campgrounds — and all state-operated campgrounds have shut down campfires until the fire danger significantly lessens. Shooting tracer ammo or using exploding targets are never allowed in forests and other wildland areas during fire season. Vehicles are allowed only on improved roads, and smoking while traveling is allowed only inside of an enclosed vehicle.
For everyone else who live and work in wildland areas, the rain will not make it safe to burn debris piles or use burn barrels.
Oregon is still in the grip of an extraordinarily dry summer. A little rain won’t reverse the cumulative effects of three years of warmer-than-normal and drier-than-normal weather conditions.