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Facing widespread drought, Oregon prepares for fire season


FILE - In this photo provided by the Bootleg Fire Incident Command, trees burn at the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, Sunday, July 25, 2021. (Bootleg Fire Incident Command via AP)
FILE - In this photo provided by the Bootleg Fire Incident Command, trees burn at the Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon, Sunday, July 25, 2021. (Bootleg Fire Incident Command via AP)
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Even with rain and storms through April, parts of central and eastern Oregon face serious drought.

As of Tuesday, more than half the state is in extreme drought and a majority of central Oregon is under the worst level of dryness. The drought level can also translate to the fire risk.

"When we have a drier start to the year, we can expect fires to start and spread more quickly earlier in the spring than they normally would," said Natalie Weber of the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Most of the state has been in a pretty significant drought. We have been for a while. This spring, we just haven't been seeing the rain that we were hoping for.

Most fire experts consider the start of fire season when the fuel moisture dries out completely, as that's when the environment is most vulnerable to spark.

The typical start to fire season in southwest Oregon is June 1, but because of the drying trend, it's started in May for the past two years.

Fire crews are hoping for more days of rain showers to work on prescribed burns before the fuel moisture hits zero later this season.

"A lot of agencies will be doing prescribed burning in the spring and if we're not seeing that rain and things are pretty dry, that window gets very, very small," said Weber.

On Monday, Governor Kate Brown declared a drought emergency in Deschutes, Grant, Lake and Malhuer counties.

In a statement on Twitter, Governor Brown said she is committed to bringing state agency resources to everyone impacted by low water and precipitation levels.



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