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Federal Fire Managers Anticipate LightningJoint news release for Umpqua & Willamette National Forests Date: September 15, 2008 Roseburg OR -- Federal fire managers in southwestern Oregon are anticipating an increase in fire activity due to isolated thunderstorms and dry lightning predicted for Tuesday, September 16. Agencies have strategically pre-positioned resources including eight engines with crews, 140 fire fighters, 30 rapellers, and 10 aircraft to get a jump on initial attack of any new fires. “We're anticipating lightning storms west of the Cascades with potential from the Willamette National Forest to northern California,” said Liza Castleberry, Umpqua National Forest Deputy Fire Staff Officer. “If we get lightning strikes, we’ll keep our fire crews on high alert into next week until the cooling trend is well established. We are also working with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center on pre-positioning Type 1 shot crews and rapellers to respond where activity is expected to have the highest potential.” The unstable weather pattern is expected to continue through until Thursday morning when a cold front is anticipated. Increased fire activity in the Rattle Fire northwest of the Boulder Creek Wilderness (Umpqua National Forest) concerns Forest Service officials as the fire spreads into the Steamboat drainage northwest of the Wilderness. Anyone planning to hunt, camp or travel in the Reynolds Ridge area or the Calapooya Mountains is encouraged to head to other parts of the Umpqua and Willamette national forests as firefighters work on both the Rattle Fire and any new fire starts. “The 2134 road south from Campers Flat Campground on the Willamette is signed as closed. We’d appreciate if people would stay out of the area during the next week,” said Castleberry. For more information on the Rattle Fire, visit www.inciweb.org or call 1-866-534-9681. |
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