Red Flag

Although we have had some moisture  over the last month, the ground is very dry. It only takes a day or two after a rain to see the dust once again and the overall moisture content in the  forest drops.

With a few days of 90+ degree weather this week the area is now under a Red Flag Warning for increased fire danger and has been for a few days.

This morning, the conditions have changed and when I need answers, I go surfing around to seek out the story. I came across the National Weather Service page, they have done some revamping recently and I really like some of the new do-dads that are easy to use.

A Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.

-If you are allowed to burn in your area, all burn barrels must be covered with a weighted metal cover, with holes no larger than 3/4 of an inch.

-Do not throw cigarettes or matches out of a moving vehicle. They may ignite dry grass on the side of the road and become a wildfire.

-Extinguish all outdoor fires properly. Drown fires with plenty of water and stir to make sure everything is cold to the touch. Dunk charcoal in water until cold. Do not throw live charcoal on the ground and leave it.

-Never leave a fire unattended. Sparks or embers can blow into leaves or grass, ignite a fire, and quickly spread.

The danger is exacerbated with the breezy conditions. A small spark could send a fire spreading quickly.  We have heard of several small brush fires around the area, most involved MVC (motor vehicle crash). It only takes one spark and the dry grass and tinder along the road ignites.

By looking at the National Weather Service page, I noticed that it is easy to pull up the forecast for my local area with detailed information. We don’t normally have lightening strike fires but it is good to keep a close watch on conditions.

This is just north and west of me,

Short Term Forecast
National Weather Service Portland OR
517 AM PDT Thu Aug 29 2019

ORZ003-005-006-WAZ019-022-039-040-045-291300-
Coast Range of Northwest Oregon-Greater Portland Metro Area-Lower
Columbia-South Washington Cascades-Lower Columbia and I - 5 Corridor
in Cowlitz County-Greater Vancouver Area-South Washington Cascade
Foothills-Western Columbia River Gorge-
517 AM PDT Thu Aug 29 2019

.NOW...
At 514 AM PDT, National Weather Service Doppler Radar indicated a
line of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from Columbia
City to near Mill Plain, moving northeast at 15 mph. Lightning
detection data suggests this line of storms has been producing an
increasing amount of lightning over the past 10 to 15 minutes.

Locations impacted include...
Battle Ground, Washougal, St. Helens, Woodland, Vancouver, Camas,
Ridgefield, La Center, Kalama, Columbia City, Yacolt, Hockinson.

Dangerous cloud to ground lightning can be expected in these areas
through roughly 6 AM.

I can make out dramatic clouds currently here at the farm even though it is still about an hour before daylight. We have not yet heard any thunder or have had any rain fall which the Weather Service contends we still have a 50% chance of today. Any moisture will bring down the Red Flag Warning.