Dozens of wildfires are burning in Oregon, many sparked by lightning in mid-July. Fire managers say many of these fires won’t be extinguished until rains come in the fall.
But weather conditions are expected to help fire crews over the next few days. Higher humidity and somewhat cooler temperatures are in the forecast.
Cassie Adams is a public information officer for the Willamette Complex of fires, including the Ore fire east of Blue River.
“Our crews are really hopeful that with the work that they're doing right now and the weather pattern that we're seeing in the coming days and coming weeks that it will result in diminished fire activity and give them the ability to really kind of go direct on these fires and up that containment number and hopefully keep those acres close to where they are,” she said.
Officials urge the public to be careful when recreating outdoors to avoid starting fires. Also, “know before you go” and check for closures in public forest areas because of the multiple fires in the region.
The Ore Fire is 2,421 acres and 21% contained as of Friday morning. 148 people are assigned to the fire near Blue River. The cause is under investigation.
Area, road, trail, and recreation site closures are in effect in the Willamette National Forest. Specific information is posted at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices/?aid=61574.
Air Quality Advisories:
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Lane Regional Air Protection Agency have extended an air quality advisory for much of the region due to smoke from fires in Oregon.
The advisory is for areas including Deschutes County, Central and eastern Douglas County and Eastern Lane County until at least Monday afternoon.
Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather.
Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, DEQ’s Air Quality Index, or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone.
