With triple digit temperatures, tinder dry forests, and the threat of lightning storms in the next few days, officials are urging the public to be extra careful to prevent human-caused fires.
A fire sparked Tuesday in southern Oregon caused the closure of Highway 138 east of Glide. Oregon Department of Forestry's Tom Fields says that's an example of how quickly a blaze can grow in current conditions.
"We're in a red flag warning for most of the Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon. Temperatures are expected to get into the high 90s and low 100s. And the forest out there and the grasslands and forest lands are just so susceptible right now to any kind of spark that could lead to a fire."
Fields urges the public to be vigilant while recreating in Oregon's forests. The ODF has halted logging operations in areas of Douglas and Coos counties because of the extreme fire danger. So far, Oregon's fire season has been mild in terms of acres burned. But Fields says more fires than usual have been human-caused.
Check tripcheck.com for the latest on highway conditions
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