Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Forest fire news

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By MICHELLE ERDIE

"Red Flag warning in effect until 9 p.m. this evening." The daily weather forecast was read over the Forest Service radio and we were told of the approaching cold front, a watch-out situation for any seasoned fire fighter. A cold front brings strong, gusty winds and low relative humidity. If a wildfire starts this particular day, it will go big. An ember from a campfire that wasn't properly extinguished can easily be picked up with the forecast 30 mph winds and deposited into a dry bed of grass on an adjacent hillside. As the winds continue, a small spot fire can quickly grow into a few hundred acres. It doesn't take much on a Red Flag day.

We have been lucky so far this year. The grass stayed green a little longer and our local fire season has been relatively quiet, especially following last year's events. Labor Day with its weekend celebrations is upon us. The end of summer is approaching, but that doesn't mean the end of fire season. The Sawtooth Forest has experienced fire seasons well into October. Don't be fooled by the shorter days and cooler temperatures. Vegetation is still dry and a little wind can carry an ember from an abandoned campfire to the wrong place—your neighbor's backyard.

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