Rain loosens tightened limits on forest uses.Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard Sure, this week's run of wet, cool weather may put a damper damp·er n. 1. One that deadens, restrains, or depresses: Rain put a damper on our picnic plans. 2. An adjustable plate, as in the flue of a furnace or stove, for controlling the draft. on your backyard barbecuing plans. But it's a good thing for those fighting a Douglas County Douglas County is the name of twelve counties in the United States:
Citing falling rain and temperatures, officials in the Willamette, Siuslaw and Umpqua National Forests Umpqua National Forest, in southern Oregon's Cascade mountains, covers an area of one-million acres (4,000 km²), and borders Crater Lake National Park. External links
The weather change has been a particular relief for 1,650 workers battling the 4,431-acre Bland Mountain Fire No. 2 southeast of Roseburg. The `No. 2' was added to distinguish the blaze, which broke out Friday, from a 1987 Bland Mountain fire that claimed two lives and 14 homes. "It's raining," spokesman Paul Ries happily reported Monday afternoon from a fire camp set up at Myrtle Creek Municipal Airport Myrtle Creek Municipal Airport (FAA LID: 16S), is a public airport located two miles (3.2 km) southwest of Myrtle Creek in Douglas County, Oregon, USA. External links
The fire is no longer considered a threat to residents and structures along Ferguson Lane. A voluntary evacuation advisory had been issued Saturday for the road, which runs parallel to the South Umpqua River The South Umpqua River is a tributary of the Umpqua River, approximately 95 miles (153 km) long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Roseburg. west of the town of Milo Milo, athlete of ancient Greece Milo (mī`lō) or Milon (mī`lŏn), fl. 500 B.C., athlete of ancient Greece, b. Crotona. . The weather makes a world of difference in fire behavior, said David Lorenz, an Oregon Department of Forestry official who flew over the fire Monday morning. What Lorenz saw under drizzly skies contrasted sharply with the scene Friday and early Saturday, when 90-degree temperatures, 20 percent humidity and 10 mph winds whipped flames 20 to 25 feet high. By contrast, the fire mostly smoked and smoldered Monday, with flare-ups due to concentrations of fuel, said Lorenz, the agency's Roseburg area assistant director. The cooler, damper weather helps extinguish Extinguish Retire or pay off debt. the creeping, simmering fires on the ground and makes it more comfortable for firefighters wearing a full complement of safety gear, but the rain also can make matters more treacherous for crews, said Karyn McNeil, a crew boss for Timberline timberline, elevation above which trees cannot grow. Its location is influenced by the various factors that determine temperature, including latitude, prevailing wind directions, and exposure to sunlight. Corp. of nearby Riddle. "If the rain is able to penetrate the canopy, it gets things mucked up, it gets slippery," McNeil said. It can also knock down loose branches that further fuel flames, or break free loose rocks and trees, called "rollers," which is more common on steep terrain such as in this fire. Rain brought down a 36-inch-diameter tree that blocked a road. McNeil's crew was hiking into that area anyway, in the East Pool Creek drainage, and cleared the tree. By nightfall, fire containment was estimated at 60 percent. "We've got fire over a large geographic area," Reis said. "Having it rain is not like dumping a bucket of water on a campfire. It actually takes some time and a fair amount of water." The effort gained two more helicopters Monday, with a total of 11 scooping water from the Umpqua River The Umpqua River (UHMP-kwah) is a river on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States, approximately 111 mi (179 km) long. One of the prinicipal rivers of the Oregon coast, it drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the and dumping it on several spot fires, including a 100-acre outbreak on the southeast side of the blaze. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, which broke out in private or Bureau of Land Management forest near the center of the burned area. Highway 227 remains open, subject to occasional traffic stops near the portion of the South Umpqua River where helicopters swoop swoop v. swooped, swoop·ing, swoops v.intr. 1. To move in a sudden sweep: The bird swooped down on its prey. 2. in to fill their buckets. While the recent rain has helped, forest officials around the state warn that fuels could dry out again rapidly. Public use restrictions could be reinstated if conditions turn hot and dry for a sustained period of time. Editor Jim Murez contributed to this report INDUSTRIAL WORK Willamette and Siuslaw forests: Workers can resume all-day operation of chain saws and blasting and welding welding, process for joining separate pieces of metal in a continuous metallic bond. Cold-pressure welding is accomplished by the application of high pressure at room temperature; forge welding (forging) is done by means of hammering, with the addition of heat. equipment as long as they have a fire watch. Umpqua National Forest: Operation of chain saws and blasting and welding equipment is still prohibited between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. |
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