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Fire season struck Wednesday evening as lightning sparked more than 20 fires around Douglas County, kicking off what could be a hot, late summer.
As of midmorning, firefighters had been able to keep all fires from spreading, but the storm could signify a turning point in an uneventful wildfire season.
The Oregon Department of Forestry recorded some 500 lightning strikes in Douglas County.
Reports of fires and smoke poured in from around the Umpqua National Forest's four districts Wednesday night.
Fire Information Officer Pam Sichting said smoke sightings tallied 56. There were 16 confirmed fires, including six in the North Umpqua District, five in the Tiller District and one near Diamond Lake. The Cottage Grove District had four fires.
Sichting said the fires were typically about one-tenth of an acre.
“There was just hundreds and hundreds of lightning strikes. It was impossible to count them, but it was numerous and widespread,” she said.
Sichting said more lightning was expected today. In anticipation, the Forest Service has brought in more hand crews and engines and set up a fire information center.
The Douglas Forest Protective Association confirmed seven small lightning-caused fires last night, and crews were still working to extinguish five in the Azalea area this morning, DFPA spokesman Tom Fields said.
The other fires were in Umpqua and Days Creek.
Residents also reported lightning-caused fires in Roseburg, Milo and Tenmile, according to emergency dispatch records.
Douglas County Fire District No. 2 responded to a report Wednesday evening of a lightning strike near the Winchester railroad switchyard on Highway 99 North.
Fire Marshal Josep Pedrola said firefighters saw scorched grass, but no fire was burning. Firefighters doused the area and watched for embers.
The DFPA and Forest Service will have airplanes flying over the next few days to watch for “sleeper fires” that could flare up.
Wednesday's lightning strikes were the most severe this summer, but not unusual for this time of year.
“This is just typically the time of year that we get lightning and thunderstorm activity,” Fields said.
Chuck Glaser of the National Weather Service said cooler temperatures will prevail next week, but heat is on the menu through the weekend.
ODF spokesman Rod Nichols said the state has returned to typical summer weather and fire conditions in the past week.
So far this year, there have been only 30 lightning-sparked fires, which have burned 89 acres, on the 16 million acres of state forestland protected by ODF, Nichols said.
Over the past decade, there has been an average of 271 lightning fires a year, burning an average of 20,684 acres.
Human-caused fires are nearly twice as common, but tend to burn fewer acres.
The low number of lightning fires this summer could change in a hurry, Nichols said. He said fire and forest officials are concerned that flames could be stoked by the cool, wet La Niņa weather pattern.
“One of the legacies of the La Niņa effect is that with all that rain, we grew a lot of grass and a lot of brush, and we do have an abundant fuel load. And that is a concern,” he said.
Nichols said long-range forecasts see the warm, dry summer lasting through late October.
“So we have a pretty long span where we have a potential for wildfires,” he said.
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4218 or by email at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
As of midmorning, firefighters had been able to keep all fires from spreading, but the storm could signify a turning point in an uneventful wildfire season.
The Oregon Department of Forestry recorded some 500 lightning strikes in Douglas County.
Reports of fires and smoke poured in from around the Umpqua National Forest's four districts Wednesday night.
Fire Information Officer Pam Sichting said smoke sightings tallied 56. There were 16 confirmed fires, including six in the North Umpqua District, five in the Tiller District and one near Diamond Lake. The Cottage Grove District had four fires.
Sichting said the fires were typically about one-tenth of an acre.
“There was just hundreds and hundreds of lightning strikes. It was impossible to count them, but it was numerous and widespread,” she said.
Sichting said more lightning was expected today. In anticipation, the Forest Service has brought in more hand crews and engines and set up a fire information center.
The Douglas Forest Protective Association confirmed seven small lightning-caused fires last night, and crews were still working to extinguish five in the Azalea area this morning, DFPA spokesman Tom Fields said.
The other fires were in Umpqua and Days Creek.
Residents also reported lightning-caused fires in Roseburg, Milo and Tenmile, according to emergency dispatch records.
Douglas County Fire District No. 2 responded to a report Wednesday evening of a lightning strike near the Winchester railroad switchyard on Highway 99 North.
Fire Marshal Josep Pedrola said firefighters saw scorched grass, but no fire was burning. Firefighters doused the area and watched for embers.
The DFPA and Forest Service will have airplanes flying over the next few days to watch for “sleeper fires” that could flare up.
Wednesday's lightning strikes were the most severe this summer, but not unusual for this time of year.
“This is just typically the time of year that we get lightning and thunderstorm activity,” Fields said.
Chuck Glaser of the National Weather Service said cooler temperatures will prevail next week, but heat is on the menu through the weekend.
ODF spokesman Rod Nichols said the state has returned to typical summer weather and fire conditions in the past week.
So far this year, there have been only 30 lightning-sparked fires, which have burned 89 acres, on the 16 million acres of state forestland protected by ODF, Nichols said.
Over the past decade, there has been an average of 271 lightning fires a year, burning an average of 20,684 acres.
Human-caused fires are nearly twice as common, but tend to burn fewer acres.
The low number of lightning fires this summer could change in a hurry, Nichols said. He said fire and forest officials are concerned that flames could be stoked by the cool, wet La Niņa weather pattern.
“One of the legacies of the La Niņa effect is that with all that rain, we grew a lot of grass and a lot of brush, and we do have an abundant fuel load. And that is a concern,” he said.
Nichols said long-range forecasts see the warm, dry summer lasting through late October.
“So we have a pretty long span where we have a potential for wildfires,” he said.
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4218 or by email at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
