Hot, dry conditions prompt Deschutes National Forest to enact public use fire restrictions in all wilderness areas
Campfires only allowed in developed campgrounds, starting Saturday
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Due to increasingly hot and dry conditions, as well as additional fire activity in the region, the Deschutes National Forest will implement Public Use (Fire) Restrictions Saturday in all of the wilderness areas managed by the forest, including Mt. Thielsen, Diamond Peak, Three Sisters, Mt. Washington and Mt. Jefferson.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, campfires will only be allowed in designated, developed campgrounds on all federally managed land in Central Oregon, including the Deschutes National Forest, Prineville BLM, Ochoco National Forest, or the Crooked River National Grassland.
This move is in alignment with the Willamette and Umpqua National Forests that share management of the wilderness areas with the Deschutes and have already implemented Public Use (Fire) Restrictions in the wilderness.
Effective Saturday, the Deschutes National Forest will be implementing Public Use Restrictions in the Wilderness areas in conjunction with the Willamette N.F. The Umpqua N.F. is currently in PUR restrictions in the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness. For ease of messaging and compliance, all of the Wilderness areas that are managed by the Deschutes N.F. will be in PURs within their entire footprint on both sides of the Cascades crest.
Beginning Saturday, open fires, including wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires, will be prohibited, except in the following designated areas:
Ochoco National Forest
Paulina Ranger District: Cottonwood Pit Campground,Sugar Creek Campground, Wolf Creek Campground, Deep Creek Campground
Lookout Mountain Ranger District: Antelope Flat Reservoir, Ochoco Divide Campground, Ochoco Forest Campground, Walton Lake Campground and Wildcat Campground
Crooked River National Grassland
Haystack Reservoir Campground and Skull Hollow Campground
Deschutes National Forest
Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District: Big River Campground, Big River Group Camp, Bull Bend Campground, Chief Paulina Horse Camp, Cinder Hill Campground, Crane Prairie Campground, Cultus Lake Campground, East Lake Campground, Elk Lake Campground, Fall River Campground, Fall River Guard Station, Lava Lake Campground, Little Crater Campground, Little Cultus Lake Campground, Little Fawn Campground & Group Camp, Little Lava Lake Campground, Mallard Marsh Campground, McKay Crossing Campground, Newberry Group Camp, North Twin Lake Campground, Ogden Group Camp, Paulina Lake Campground, Point Campground, Prairie Campground, Quinn Meadow Horse Camp, Quinn River Campground, Rock Creek Campground, Sheep Bridge Campground, South Campground, South Twin Campground, Wyeth Campground, West South Twin Campground
Crescent Ranger District: Contorta Flat Campground, Contorta Point Group Camp, Crescent Lake Campground, Crescent Lake Resort, Odell Lake Resort and Campground, Princess Creek Campground, Shelter Cove Resort and Campground, Simax Group Camp, Spring Campground, Sunset Cove Campground, Trapper Creek Campground, Whitefish Horse Camp, Windy Group Site
Sisters Ranger District: Allen Springs Campground, Allingham Campground, Blue Bay Campground, Camp Sherman Campground, Candle Creek Campground, Cold Springs Campground, Driftwood Campground, Gorge Campground, Graham Corral Horse Camp, Indian Ford Campground, Jack Creek Campground, Lava Camp Lakes Campground, Link Creek Campground, Lower Bridge Campground, Lower Canyon Creek Campground, Perry South Campground, Pine Rest Campground, Pioneer Ford Campground, Riverside Campground, Scout Lake Campground, Sheep Springs Horse Camp, Smiling River Campground, South Shore Campground, Three Creek Meadow Campground & Horse Camp, Three Creek Lake Campground, Whispering Pines Horse Camp
Prineville District BLM
Castle Rock Campground, Chimney Rock Campground, Cobble Rock Campground, Lone Pine Campground, Palisades Campground, Poison Butte Campground, Post Pile Campground, Still Water Campground
Additionally, under the public use restrictions, smoking is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. Traveling off developed roads and trails also is not allowed, except for the purpose of going to and from a campsite located within 300 feet of the open developed road.
Cooking stoves, portable propane campfires, and lanterns using propane or liquid fuel are allowed outside of designated campgrounds. The exception to this is BLM-designated campgrounds along portions of the Crooked, Deschutes, John Day, and White Rivers, as well as on BLM-administered lands along Lake Billy Chinook and Lake Simtustus. These public use restrictions do not replace the annual river corridor restrictions which were implemented June 1, 2023. Portable propane campfire devices are still prohibited in these areas.
Information on current restrictions or the current Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) can be obtained by contacting the Central Oregon Fire Use Information Line at 1-800-523-4737.
For current wildland fire information, the public can visit centraloregonfire.org or follow fire information on Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire.
