A cool, wet June has put this summer's fire season three weeks behind normal, even including the wildfire currently burning near Sisters.
Grasses and ground brush are not as dry as would typically be the case. A rare outbreak last week of more than 41,000 lightning strikes only produced three moderate to large fires.
Fire forecast meteorologist Terry Marsha said in a normal year, more dry fuels would have allowed nearly two dozen fires to spark across the Northwest.
Marsha has developed fire forecast computer model technology used across the country. His data suggest additional large fires to form this week, due to lightning expected each day into the weekend. He believes the forecast data is not taking into account how moist ground fuels continue to be, so there is hope the lightning will come and go with no sparks.
The heart of fire season is considered to be July 1 through about the 20th of August. To date, the Rooster Rock fire near Sisters is the 2nd large fire of the season for Oregon.
