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People using
equipment in an un-safe manner is the highest cause of wildfires on
state-protected lands in Oregon.
Equipment use is
a very large category that includes motorists who pull their burning vehicles
to the side of the road and set the dry grass on fire; sparks from exhaust
systems and heat from manifolds on vehicles being driven or parked on dry
grass; people using gas-powered lawn equipment, hitting a rock, causing a
spark, and setting the dry grass on fire; or power lines that have sparked
during a wind storm, causing a tree to ignite. (Call your power company to cut the branches away and reduce the risk.)
During Fire Season 2010,
135 equipment
fires resulted in
369 burned
acres and
$340,000
in suppression costs,
Wildfire
statistics show that prior to 2010, the
10-year average of human-caused wildfires was
204 per year
2, 777
acres, and the
$4. 06
million in suppression costs.
After 2010, the averages became
199 wildfires
3,668
acres, and
$4.27 million in suppression costs.
The fewer acres certainly reflects back to the
quick responses by ODF suppression crews.
Here are a few
tips for the safe use of equipment:
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