Wildfires & Still Dry
Wildfires & Still Dry. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.
So far this year wildfires have cost Washington State $35 million dollars and there's still a lot of wildfire season left. Severn fires remain uncontained, two in Oregon, the Corner Creek and the Marion fire, and five in Washington; Blue Creek, I-90, Newby Lake, PC Complex and Wildhorse. The Newby Lake fire is over 5000 acres and the Corner Creek fire in Oregon has now gone past 30,000 acres. Lightning is the cause for about half of those fires with the others listed as unknown.
Hot dry conditions are persisting over the northwest according to meteorologist, Brad Rippey.
RIPPEY: Top soil moisture is rated 75% very short to short in Oregon; 66% in Washington State.
Rippey says that there has been a bit of good news for California in the way of rain but mostly in southern California around San Diego and Los Angeles but those rains did move on.
RIPPEY: Providing just a little bit of limited drought relief. Certainly moistening topsoils and reducing irrigation demands in agricultural areas.
Oregon's Gov. Kate Brown has declared drought emergencies in three more Oregon counties now totaling 23 or the states 36 counties. The forecast for the northwest is calling for more dry conditions although temperatures through next week should be a little milder.
That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.
