Incoming storms have helped clear the air and will hopefully dampen the chance of regional wildfires spreading.
Marcus Kauffman is public information officer for the Holiday Farm Fire burning east of Eugene-Springfield. He says they’ll know more later this weekend if heavy rains and cooler temps will benefit fire crews. He says their current approach has served them well so far.
“This combination of direct line - when you can go direct to the fire’s edge to minimize spread - and indirect - backing away to a ridge or a road, and building a contingency line, a control feature that will serve your purposes until you can get in a little closer," he said.
"Our whole intent is to minimize acres spread, but if we don’t have the resources to go really tight, we have to back off a little bit to a road or a ridge.”
But with storm activity, wind gusts and lightning strikes can spread existing fires, or cause new ones.
At last check Friday afternoon, the Holiday Farm Fire was 10 percent contained, and at more than 172,000 acres.
Meanwhile, crews are safeguarding against COVID-19 as well as the blaze.
Fire, smoke, damaged trees, and now the pandemic are hazards threatening personnel this season. Outside a steep canyon on the western edge of the fire, crew member Chris Umniack takes a breather.
“After a few days of sleeping every night in the heavy smoke down low, we definitely start to feel it," he told KLCC.
"But we do the best we can, we do everything we can to mitigate COVID-19. And we try to stay healthy by drinking plenty of water, wearing our masks when we need to, taking temperatures.”
Umniak says so far, no one on his team's come down with COVID-19. A falling branch did injure a tree faller Thursday, who’s currently recuperating in a hospital.
Copyright 2020, KLCC.
