Fires remain a concern

“Even though we had a little rain today [last Wednesday] and a lot of rain at my house, the wildfire season is still nightmarish and will continue to be nightmarish for a while,” Commission Chair Scott Hege said. “This is basically another encouragement for folks to really think about what they’re doing out there, the fact that everything is so dry and everything we do can start up a fire and it’s so easy to do.”

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there are currently five large fires in Oregon.

The biggest, more than 110,000 acres, 7 miles north of Seneca, is 85 percent contained. All five fires are at least 70 percent contained.

Favorable weather conditions over Labor Day weekend helped firefighters make progress toward containment goals.

On Tuesday, for the second day in a row, no new large fires were reported nationally, where 37 fires are currently burning across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and California.

However, temperatures in The Dalles are forecasted to climb into the 90s by the end of the week with zero chance of precipitation.

According to the proclamation, “Wasco County includes unique ecosystems and landscapes that must be preserved as our gift to future generations and in Oregon one-third to one-half of all wildfires are ignited by human actions.”

The proclamation also states that “campfires are the number one cause of human fires on public land and mowing, disking, driving through or parking on dried vegetation can easily ignite a wildfire.”

“Wildfires place a heavy demand on firefighting resources and puts our wildlands and communities at risk, threating life and livelihood and conditions remain extreme throughout the State of Oregon and fire suppression resources are extremely limited due to numerous wildfires in Oregon and Washington.”

The proclamation encourages all county officials, employees, businesses and residents to clear fuels, park in areas clear of vegetation, carry water or fire extinguishers in their vehicles and refrain from campfires.

In addition, they should mow or disk on cool, windless mornings and smoke in enclosed vehicles or buildings or in areas that are at least three feet in diameter clear of all flammable materials.