Predicting the precise start of fire season is almost impossible, but the fact that there will be a fire season, with its inevitable destruction, is a certainty.
    As July approaches, it is time to start thinking about what that means. A regional burn ban goes into effect July 1 (details on page A1).

As of that date, there will be no debris burning allowed in Hood River and Wasco counties. Also, the current burn permits will be void on that day until the ban is lifted. The end of the ban will be determined later this summer or fall, depending on seasonal weather.

The wet spring we’ve seen in the Gorge has its advantages and disadvantages, when it comes to fire danger. True, the moisture has kept things damp locally, but the rains can also spur growth of smaller vegetation in forests and grasslands, vegetation that when dry turns into dangerous wildfire fuels.

As July 4 and fireworks season approaches, remember the common sense precautions with regard to the loud and flashy combustibles we light ourselves.

Property owners should consult fire agencies for home fire prevention tips, with particular attention to “defensible space.” Spring yard cleanup is a good time to create the 30-foot clear areas around homes and structures that are so important to limiting damage and to improving the likelihood of successful fire suppression.

This week, 70 people from Oregon and Washington fire agencies, including a large Hood River County contingent, are learning and reviewing firefighting skills at fire guard school in the Barlow Forest District.

While these men and women undergo training that could mean the difference between life and death, property owners can do their part to safeguard their perimeters.