With the recent prolonged exposure to dry weather, the vegetation (both live and dead) in in the surrounding areas are now more susceptible to fire spread than our historical averages for this time of year. As indicated by the table below we are well below our average for the 100-Hour Fuel Moistures (vegetation both live and dead that are sized 1” to 3” in diameter) which is a big contributor for fire spread this time of year in Northwest Oregon. Another metric used to evaluate daily and hourly fire danger is the term Ignition Component. Ignition component is a number which relates the probability that a fire will result if a firebrand is introduced into a fine fuel complex and require suppression action. Again, the table below indicates that our ignition component is much higher than normal for this time of the year. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday indicate that our predicted 100-Hour Fuel Moistures will be at their 90th Percentile already.
In summation, despite our wet winter weather, our fire potential has recovered significantly enough to cause a concern of a wildland fire threat through the weekend. We hope you all have a fun, safe, and fire-safe Memorial Day Weekend!
