Wildfire in Southeast Oregon
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. A large wildfire burning this week in southern Oregon is close to “getting out of hand.”
That’s according to USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey who says weather conditions don’t appear to favor helping firefighters put out the Big Grass Fire, which is the nation’s largest active fire currently burning …
RIPPEY … “It started in southeastern Oregon and has since burned across into parts of southwestern Idaho. That has become the second-largest wildfire of the year to date across the United States. Acreage topping 550,000, getting very close to the size of the biggest fire of the year, which was back in March. If you recall, the Morrill Fire burning in western Nebraska.”
Rippey says the Big Grass Fire could soon become the largest wildfire of the year to date …
RIPPEY … “The forecast for the next few days is not particularly favorable. We do see a monsoon circulation flow bringing some cloudiness and showers to the Southwest, but unfortunately, along the northern periphery of that monsoon boundary, we do see some dry thunderstorms, some gusty winds, and temperatures remain elevated throughout the West.”
With all those factors, Rippey says we see a continuing wildfire situation that could get out of hand over the next several days.
