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Autumn Brings Respite From Wildfires, But Also Unpredictable East Wind Events

Fabian Jones
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Unsplash

Days are shorter, nights are cooler, and rain is becoming more constant in the forecast. While that all bodes well for crews battling Oregon’s wildfires, a new element of risk is possible.  

Roughly 15 large fire events in Oregon are listed on Inciweb, an online tracker and information system. Containment has improved steadily, and some evacuation levels and closure notices have been reduced or removed.

But Kyle Reed of the Douglas Forest Protective Association says autumn often brings a wild card to conditions, known as east wind events.

“That’s when winds come down off the Cascades and they funnel down through the valleys and come down the hill, and as they come down they compress," he explained.

Credit Suhyeon Choi / Unsplash
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Unsplash
Things are getting damp and cool again, but it's still early enough in the fall that warm and dry conditions can still persist.

"Which causes them to warm up, so it’s a warm wind. And typically it’s a strong wind. So it’s very similar to what we saw last year with the Labor Day storms, except that was a very severe case of east winds. But even a mild case could really accelerate fire behavior.” 

Reed adds precipitation is also improving, though much of the heaviest rainfall so far has been closer to the coast. He says while fire crews had hoped for heavier rainfall in their area, they are currently at “LOW” fire risk, and gradually issuing permits for backyard debris burning.

“So those permits from DFPA are free. They do require an on-site inspection.  We have to have a fire trail around those, make sure you have fire tools and water on-site, and have a chance to explain safe burning to the people before they actually do the burn.”

Reed says the fire season is winding down, and typically ends in mid-October. But that timeline could be extended if conditions run warmer and drier than usual.

Copyright 2021, KLCC. 

Brian Bull is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and remains a contributor to the KLCC news department. He began working with KLCC in June 2016.   In his 27+ years as a public media journalist, he's worked at NPR, Twin Cities Public Television, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Radio, and ideastream in Cleveland. His reporting has netted dozens of accolades, including four national Edward R. Murrow Awards (22 regional),  the Ohio Associated Press' Best Reporter Award, Best Radio Reporter from  the Native American Journalists Association, and the PRNDI/NEFE Award for Excellence in Consumer Finance Reporting.
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