PENDLETON — The recent rain in Eastern Oregon didn’t wash away all the risk of human-caused wildfires, according to a Thursday, Sept. 24, press release from the Oregon Department of Forestry. 

According to the release, the precipitation will impact short-term fire activity, but warmer and drier weather is still anticipated in the forecast. 

“When we get these fall storms, there is often a sense that the fire danger is all gone. The rains that we experienced were fairly spotty and not all of our area received moisture,” La Grande Unit Forester Logan McCrae stated in the release. “As the warmer and drier temperatures return next week, it won’t take long for the lighter fuels to dry out. The heavy fuels won’t see the instant spike in moisture and we could see high fire activity again.” 

As of Sept. 24, 50% of the fires on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry Northeast Oregon District in 2020 have been human-caused, the released stated. Those fires have been the result of debris burning, abandoned campfires or equipment use, including the use of ATVs or other vehicles off of improved roads. 

“We watch the fire danger measurements closely and will lower our restrictions as soon as we know our fire danger has decreased,” McCrae stated in the release. “At this point, we expect that any fire starts we see will be human-caused. These are the fires we can all work to prevent.” 

Fire officials urge the public to use caution when visiting the forest and follow public-use restrictions regarding chain saw use, campfires and vehicle usage off of improved roads. Information on all public-use restrictions in effect in the Northeast Oregon District can be found at www.bmidc.org.