August 12, 2019 10:00 a.m. 
The Myrtle Creek Fire Department is helping the public learn the difference been smoke and what they are calling “waterdogs.”
In a social media post made on Saturday, the agency explained that “waterdog” is a term used by firefighters for pockets of fog and mist that collect in mountain areas after a wet thunderstorm.
These pockets of fog are a source of multiple calls to 911 and the fire department because the resemble smoke.
As a crew must investigate every report, the fire department is seeking to help educate community members about the difference between a harmless waterdog and smoke.
They provided a checklist to help people tell the difference.
If you see what you suspect to be smoke in the forests:
1) Take a second to see if it dissipates.
2) See if it just lays in the draw, or produces a vertical column.
3) Look for blue or brown colors that indicate smoke.
4) Call 911 right away if you think it is smoke?
5) Try to provide a good geographical location where you see the suspected smoke.
6) Stay in a location to meet with firefighters so they can see it from the same perspective.
The agency says “Your help is greatly appreciated so that firefighters can be their most-effective with actual fires.”
For more information, visit the Myrtle Creek Fire Department Facebook page.