Rural Douglas County fire highlights importance of monitoring burn piles

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GLIDE, Ore. – Rural firefighters in Douglas County kept a series of small fires in slash piles north of Glide from burning out of control on Saturday, highlighting the importance of monitoring burn piles in hot weather.

According to the Douglas Forest Protective Association, at about 6:30 p.m. on May 13, crews from the DFPA and Glide Rural Fire Protection District responded to several fires in slash piles and snags just north of Rock Creek Road. The DFPA said responders were able to quickly put out the worst of the fires, and the burn was contained by midnight of that evening. The DFPA said crews will be working at the site until clean-up is complete.

The DFPA said no homes or other structures were threatened by the fire.

The DPA reminds residents to refrain from igniting burn piles when warm or windy conditions are in the forecast. Officials also reminded people who burned debris piles in the winter or spring to go back and check their piles to make sure they are completely extinguished. Old burn pile can smolder for weeks or months before reigniting on a warm and windy day, DFPA officials said.

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