Recent Lightning Storms Sparked A Few Small Fires

This is the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) fire update for Monday, June 1, 2015.

FIRES ON ODF-PROTECTED LANDS
No fires 10 acres or larger have been reported during the past 24 hours on forestlands protected by ODF.

The picture above was taken in the Sisters area by ODF employee, Ben Duda, who reported that fire was one of several small fires due to the weekend lightning.

The lightning, mostly accompanied by precipitation – heavy in some areas, moved through much of Oregon (western Oregon from south to north, Willamette Valley, Columbia Gorge/northern Oregon, north- and central-eastern Oregon, and central Oregon) during the evening of May 31 and early morning on June 1.

As a few examples, the South Cascade District (Linn and western Lane counties) estimates receiving approximately 50 strikes; last night, Douglas Forest Protective Association estimated they received approximately 800 strikes; and dozens of strikes were reported by the Southwest Oregon District in the Josephine County area.

Numerous small lightning-start fires were and are still being reported on various forestland ownerships, none of which at this time are near 10 acres or larger, and initial attack of those fire starts has been ongoing since the onset of the lightning.

ODF will be continuing to use all available detection resources today, from engine patrols to camera detection where available, to seek out any possible additional fire starts from this recent lightning storm.