Firefighters use hand tools to cut a line along the edge of a brush fire in Pendleton on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.

Some Eastern Oregon fire chiefs are concerned that the county’s already dry conditions could lead to an increased risk of vegetation fires heading into a summer where drought is consuming much of Oregon.

“We’ve been worried about this for a while,” Pendleton Fire Chief Jim Critchley said. “We’ve got flash fuels. So they’re going to move fast, especially right now when everything’s (growing) or is just starting to dry out.”

Boardman Fire Chief Mike Hughes said that his team has been responding to roughly four vegetation fires each week in the Boardman and Irrigon areas.

“We’ve been running to vegetation fires every day,” Hughes said. “Every single day we’re on controlled burns that have gotten out of control because the winds came up.”

Critchley and Hughes each said fires are occurring earlier this season than normal, attributing it to this year’s lack of moisture.

“This is early in the season, so we’re a little bit concerned that, already, we’re catching these little grass fires so early,” Hughes said. “Because you remember what happened last year in Oregon. The whole other part of the state tried to burn down.”

Umatilla County Fire District Chief Scott Stanton said he has yet to notice an uptick in vegetation fires in his district, which covers areas around Hermiston and Stanfield, but added that he had not taken a look at the recent data. He said that with the predictions showing a drier, warmer summer, he’s worried there could be an earlier start to fire season.

“It could be a busy year,” he said. “And that’s what they’re forecasting at the state level — that this could be another busy year.”

Conditions rival driest on record

The fires come as some areas of Umatilla County report conditions that rival the driest on record.

March was the second-driest on record in Hermiston. And in April, conditions hardly improved, the third-driest on record at Hermiston, according to the National Weather Service office in Pendleton.

Since October 2020, precipitation in both Umatilla and Morrow counties have been reported “well below normal,” according to Marilyn Lohman, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service.

With much of the county already experiencing some level of drought, the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners last month unanimously declared a drought disaster and asked Gov. Kate Brown to follow suit. Morrow County did the same.

The declarations come as more than three-fourths of the state is already in some stage of drought. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center has said that drought will likely continue throughout the summer in Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting on May 3.

What residents can do

Fire officials pointed to several different common causes for vegetation fires, including illegal fireworks, cigarette butts, downed power lines, controlled burn piles being kicked up by the wind and even vehicles and lawn mowers moving through dry grass.

They also noted several things that residents can do to prevent fires from sparking in their communities.

Critchley said it’s important for homeowners and landowners to create a “defensible space” by “making sure that grasses or light fuels are mowed down within 30 feet of your residence.” In addition, he advised that homeowners clear dry leaves out of roofs and gutters and move flammable materials like wood piles away from their homes.

Stanton said that for his district, residents should adhere to burning regulations and remain “extra cautious and careful, because it is extra dry.”

If residents have questions about how to mitigate the risk of fires, Critchley advised they contact their local fire departments for advice. He also advised residents to check the department’s Facebook page for updates and guidance.

“Fire is just part of our lives,” Critchley said. “We just need to make sure that it doesn’t injure anybody or damage property too much. That’s what we’re trying to stay in front of.”