Hot weather, the potential for thunderstorms, and 4th of July fireworks have Oregon fire officials on edge this week. Crews are poised for possible large fire starts.
Carol Connolly is with the Northwest Fire Coordination Center in Portland. She says thunderstorms are forecast for midweek in central and southern Oregon.
Connolly: "So, hot weather, no rain, with a potential of high winds in those areas-- we're looking at an increased chance of large fire activity based on lightning strikes."
And then there's Independence Day.
Connolly: "The biggest thing is the fireworks and the 4th of July coming in. Fireworks, in possession of fireworks on public land is actually illegal. So, we're asking folks to keep them at home so you're not tempted."
Connolly says, historically, there's a peak in wildfires around the 4th.
There have already been a couple of large fires in Oregon this summer. A reward for information on the Two Bulls Fire near Bend has grown to $43 thousand.
