Thursday, June 25, 2015

6/25/15 Weekend Fire Preparations

This weekend looks to be a very high fire danger weekend. The weather forecast includes:

BROADCAST DISCUSSION...A CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER PATTERN IS SHAPING UP FOR SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON AS INCREASINGLY HOT...DRY...AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS DEVELOP TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY... AS IS OFTEN THE CASE...IT APPEARS THIS HEAT WAVE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY SOUTHERLY FLOW AS THE UPPER RIDGE BREAKS DOWN...BRINGING THE THREAT OF DRY THUNDERSTORMS AS SOON AS LATE FRIDAY. CHANCES FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING WILL INCREASE LATER SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...POTENTIALLY CONTINUING INTO SUNDAY. STORMS SHOULD BECOME A LITTLE WETTER SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS MONSOON MOISTURE FROM ARIZONA AND NORTHERN MEXICO INCREASES. ALL IN ALL THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND WILL VERY LIKELY BE A CRITICAL ONE FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IN TERMS OF FIRE WEATHER. 

In response, for our area, we have Terra Helicopters on standby in McMinnville, a bulldozer on standby in Manning, 2 inmate crews on standby at the South Fork Inmate Camp, and will have our ODF fire crews prepared.