Oregonians Reminded To Prevent Wildfires

Oregon officials worry this summer's wildfire season could be severe.  Kristin Babbs, with Keep Oregon Green, says the warm, dry winter means conditions will dry out fast.

"We are low on snowpack and we're not going to be able to make that up at this point," she said.  "That's in the rearview mirror basically."

Most wildfires are human caused and Babbs says that means they can be prevented.  Debris burns are one of the main causes.

"A lot of times those debris piles that you think are out harbor heat for quite a while and then they can rekindle when the weather starts to warm up and the wind blows, and nobody's around to make sure they can get a rekindled fire under control," Babbs added.

The muffler on a hot vehicle can also start a fire in dry grass, a dragging muffler, or dragging trailer chains, can send sparks into dry grass.  Babbs said it's important to think about what you're doing and whether it can start a fire.

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