Smokey conditions persist in Cottage Grove from wildfires burning south of the city into the Umpqua National Forest.
Forecasters are predicting more hot, dry conditions over the next several days for the area.
U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Specialist Alexa Valladolid said there has been progress in slowing the wildfires across the region.
"Firefighters have harnessed the temporary break of cooler weather and no new lightning fires to add miles and miles of new containment lines across nearly 30 large wildfires on national forests in Oregon and Washington. But after just a short 72-hour reprieve, wildfire conditions across much of the Pacific Northwest are set to come roaring back," Valladolid said.
Weather and terrain conditions, and firefighter strength, continue to be the main challenges.
“August is showing us nothing but hot, dry, windy conditions and dry lightning all in the first week,” U.S. Forest service Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations Ed Hiatt said. “Exhausted crews finally caught a much-needed weather break, but this wildfire year is going to get worse before it gets better.”
As of Aug. 1, there were 25 large wildfires burning on national forests spanning from Southern Oregon to the Canadian Border. While some fires received rains from the recent weather shift, most wildfires east of the Cascades received little to no moisture and are primed to ramp back up as fire conditions worsen into the weekend, according to Valladolid.
“We’ve already got hundreds of thousands of acres of active fire out there right now,” Hiatt said. “With the forecasted winds, triple digit heat, and more dry lightning, it’s going to be yet another challenging week for firefighters.”
In addition to these conditions, the Forest Service officials said the incoming weather system may also support the growth of large smoke columns from any new and existing wildfires. Lightning potential is greatest Saturday in far Southern Oregon and expands Sunday into almost all of Eastern Oregon from Bend into the Blues and into far northern areas of Central Washington.
Be smoke ready this summer by preparing yourself, your loved ones, and your workplace for wildfire related air quality impacts with low and no-cost resources at www.airnow.gov/wildfires/be-smoke-ready/ .
The U.S. Forest Service has provided the following wildfire details:
Siuslaw National Forest
Most wildfire starts on the Siuslaw National Forest are human caused. The Oregon Coast and Coast Range mountains may appear less hot and dry than the rest of the Pacific Northwest, but the vegetation on the Forest is still dry and susceptible to new ignitions. Please do your part to prevent human-caused wildfires - no matter where you are. Fire resources are limited due to the amount of fire activity across the nation.
Currently, all campfires and any other open flame fires on the Siuslaw National Forest are prohibited outside of designated recreation sites or campgrounds under a Forest Order, with exemptions for sand camping campfires. Portable cooking stoves and lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel are allowed as they can be instantly switched off. Pay attention to current Fire Danger Levels and public use restrictions by visiting https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/siuslaw/fire .
For more news and information about National Forests in the Pacific Northwest, visit the regional news page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/r6/news-events or our home page, at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6 .
Follow developments here online and in the Wednesday print editions of The Sentinel.
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