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Oregon Fire Officials Brace For Potentially Busy Season

Smoke from the Two Bulls Fire west of Bend.
Central Oregon Fire Info
/
Smoke from the Two Bulls Fire west of Bend.
Smoke from the Two Bulls Fire west of Bend.
Credit Central Oregon Fire Info
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Smoke from the Two Bulls Fire in Central Oregon last year.

Local, state and federal officials are bracing for an expensive, potentially catastrophic fire season.Over the past two years, the Oregon Department of Forestry spent more than 200 million dollars fighting wildfires. 2013 was a record season for acres burned and money spent firefighting on state land. ODF spokesman Rod Nichols says drought conditions in Oregon may mean another rough season, but a lot depends on the weather.

Nichols: "When you have those dry conditions that we've been experiencing and then you have a lot of lightning it starts so many fires that the firefighting system is temporarily overwhelmed."

Nichols says the drought could mean a longer than typical fire season. The other cause of wildfire is human activity. Nichols advises people to be mindful when recreating in the forest.

 

Copyright 2015 KLCC

Rachael McDonald is News Director at KLCC. She’s been with the station for more than 10 years. Previously, she established the Richland, Washington bureau for the Northwest News Network. She also worked as News Director at KAZU in Monterey, California. Rachael has won numerous awards for her reporting.