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Despite Rain, Officials Warn Of Continued Fire Danger

A view of the First Creek Fire on August 27, 2015.
InciWeb
A view of the First Creek Fire on August 27, 2015.

Fire managers in the Northwest say the recent rain doesn't mean the wildfire danger is over. Some parts of the Northwest got more than an inch of rain in the last week of August.

While that helped firefighters in some areas, it wasn't enough to put out the region's largest fires. And fire officials say they're worried that the precipitation might fool some people into thinking the danger has passed.

They say many areas remain bone dry and are still prone to rapid fire spread.

Campfires are still banned in Oregon and Washington state parks. They will be allowed in some National Forest campgrounds over the holiday weekend. When in doubt, check with local park officials before you strike that match.

Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.