Governor Stresses Wildfire Danger

It may be cloudy and cool out now, but Gov. Ted Kulongoski is trying to raise public awareness about the wildfire risk to Oregon this year.

The governor says one of the leading causes is careless backyard burning.

State forestry officials say that over the past five years, it has cost nearly $5 million to battle fires that started from backyard burning but spread over more than 6,000 acres.

Lightning is still the leading cause of wildfires in Eastern Oregon. But backyard burning ranks as the leader for human-caused fires.