As temps, fire danger rise, Forest Service, BLM, ODF enact C.O. campfire, other public use restrictions
Open fires prohibited, except in designated campgrounds, areas; W. Oregon timberlands to close
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Forestry announced seasonal closures and limited-use regulations Wednesday for federal and state-protected lands in Central Oregon as a potentially record-breaking heat wave approaches and several wildfires already burn across the region.
Here is the federal announcement:
Central Oregon National Forests and Prineville BLM begin Public Use Restrictions and increase Industrial Fire Precaution Level Friday
Central Ore. - Following a warm and dry spring, drought continues to expand across much of the West, and Central Oregon is expecting warmer and drier than average conditions this summer. With weather predictions indicating extremely high temperatures moving into the region, the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Deschutes National Forest and the Ochoco National Forest, and the Crooked River National Grassland, are implementing public use restrictions as well as moving to an Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 on Friday, June 25, 2021, to reduce the number of human-caused wildfires.
Effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 25, open fires, including wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires, will be prohibited, except in the following designated campgrounds:
Crescent Ranger District: Contorta Flat, Contorta Point, Crescent Lake Resort and Campground, Odell Lake Resort and Campground, Princess Creek, Shelter Cove Resort and Campground, Simax Group Site, Spring, Sunset Cove, Trapper Creek, Whitefish Horse Camp, and Windy Group Site.
Bend-Ft. Rock Ranger District: Big River Group Camp, Chief Paulina Horse Camp, Cinder Hill, Crane Prairie, Cultus Lake, East Lake, Elk Lake, Fall River, Fall River Guard Station, Gull Point, Lava Lake, Little Crater, Little Cultus Lake, Little Fawn, Little Fawn Group, Little Lava Lake, Mallard Marsh, Newberry, North Twin, Ogden Group Camp, Paulina Lake, Point, Prairie, Quinn Meadow Horse Camp, Quinn River, Rock Creek, Sheep Bridge, South, South Twin, and West South Twin.
Sisters Ranger District: Allen Springs, Allingham, Blue Bay, Camp Sherman, Candle Creek, Cold Spring, Driftwood, Gorge, Graham Corral, Indian Ford, Jack Creek, Lave Camp Lake, Link Creek, Lower Bridge, Lower Canyon Creek, Perry South, Pine Rest, Pioneer Ford, Riverside, Scout Lake, Sheep Spring, Smiling River, South Shore, Three Creek Lake, Three Creek Meadow, and Three Creek Horse Camp.
Paulina Ranger District: Deep Creek, Sugar Creek, and Wolf Creek.
Lookout Mtn. Ranger District: Antelope Flat Reservoir, Ochoco Divide, Ochoco Forest, Walton Lake and Wildcat.
Crooked River National Grassland: Skull Hollow and Haystack Reservoir.
Prineville BLM: Campgrounds on the Lower Crooker River – Castle Rock, Chimney Rock, Cobble Rock, Lone Pine, Lower Palisades, Poison Butte, Post Pile and Stillwater.
These restrictions do not apply to Wildernesses on the Deschutes National Forest; however, these restrictions do apply to Wildernesses and Wilderness Study Areas on the Ochoco National Forest and Prineville BLM.
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 forest 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.
Also, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 25, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will move to a Level 2, known as a Partial Hootowl. IFPL regulates permitted activities such as timber sales, service contracts and firewood cutting. Under an IFPL 2, power saws (except at log loading sites), cable yarding operations, blasting, welding/cutting metal may only operate only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. local time (no operation between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.).
Public use restrictions and industrial operations restrictions protect the land, resources, and visitors. Every year lightning-caused fires place a heavy demand on our firefighting resources and puts our forests, firefighters, and communities at risk. Fires caused through carelessness or negligence create unnecessary, added risk.
Officials also want to remind the public that using explosive target material, such as Tannerite, explosives, and fireworks is prohibited year-round on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River Grassland, and from May 12 – October 31, 2021 on lands managed by the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management.
For current Central Oregon wildland fire information, the public can visit centraloregonfire.org or follow fire information on Twitter @CentralORfire.
Here is the Oregon Department of Forestry news release:
[Prineville, Ore.] Wildfires resulting from human activities continue to plague firefighters in Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District. In an effort to reduce these fires the District will implement a 10 a.m. Regulated-Use Closure which restricts high risk activities linked to wildfire starts. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. June 24, 2021, the following restrictions will be in effect:
· Possession of the following firefighting equipment is required while traveling in a motorized vehicle, except on federal and state highways, county roads and driveways: one shovel and one gallon of water or one operational 2½ pound or larger fire extinguisher, except all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles which must be equipped with an approved spark arrestor in good working condition.
· Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads.
· Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except in designated areas.
· Chainsaw use is prohibited, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Chainsaw use is permitted at all other hours, if the following firefighting equipment is present with each operating saw: one axe, one shovel, and one operational 8 ounce or larger fire extinguisher. In addition, a fire watch is required at least one hour following the use of each saw.
· Mowing dried grass with power driven equipment is prohibited, between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., except for the commercial culture/harvest of agricultural crops.
· Cutting, grinding & welding of metal is prohibited between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m
· Use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, is prohibited, except on improved roads and except for vehicle use by a landowner and employees of the landowner upon their own land while conducting activities associated with their livelihood.
· The use of fireworks and blasting is prohibited.
Additional restrictions, a map, and the official proclamation can be found at www.Oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspx.
Due to limited spring moisture live and dead wildland fuels are burning intensely and rapid fire spread is occurring with ignitions across the District. “We are seeing fire behavior similar to what is typical in July or even August,” says District Forester Mike Shaw. “Wildand fuels are incredibly dry, and the moisture from last week’s precipitation has already dried out of the finer fuels, and never penetrated the larger ones.” Implementation of Regulated-Use Closure with a 10 a.m. shut-down should be indicative to the public the severe situation and risk of wildfires earlier than what is typical during wildfire season in Central Oregon.
Fire Season Regulations
The following acts are prohibited during fire season in accordance with ORS 477.510 and ORS 477.512:
· Smoking while working in or traveling through any operation area.
· The use of fuse and caps for blasting, unless approval is granted by the forester.
· The discharge of an exploding target inside the district or within one-eighth mile of the district.
· The discharge of tracer ammunition on land that is within the district or within one-eighth mile of the district, or when discharged, crosses above land that is within the district or within one-eighth mile of the district.
Operators should refer to www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/Documents/fire-season-requirements-for-industrial-operations.pdf for information specific to industrial operations during fire season, or call their local ODF Office.
John Day Unit—Grant, Wheeler, Morrow, Harney, & Gilliam Counties (541)575-1139
· Burning of logging slash and larger debris piles is not currently allowed in the John Day Unit.
· Burning yard debris and burn barrels is no longer permitted on lands protected by ODF.
Prineville Unit-Crook, Jefferson, and Deschutes Counties (541)447-5658
· Burning of logging slash is not allowed at this time.
· Contact the local fire departments to obtain burn permits for burning yard debris where allowed.
The Dalles Unit-Wasco and Hood River Counties (541)296-4626
· IFPL 3 in effect for MH-1(east of Hwy 35 in Hood River and Wasco counties) and IFPL 2 in effect for MH-4 (west of Hwy 35 in Hood River County)
· Burn ban in effect for Hood River and Wasco counties.
For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.
News release from western Oregon timberland owners:
Timberland Owners Close Access to Private Lands for Fire Season
WESTERN OREGON, June 23, 2021 – Several private timberland owners and managers in Western Oregon have agreed to close their land to public access starting on Monday, June 28.
Due to drought conditions, and above-average temperatures, agencies are predicting a bad fire season in Oregon. According to the Department of Forestry, the state has recorded 521 fires that burned 15,135 acres so far this year. Humans started 93% of those fires.
Landowners have been monitoring fuel conditions this spring, as well as reviewing snowpack, weather forecasts, and drought impacts. The limited precipitation across the region this spring has significantly affected the moisture content of woody debris, as well as the condition of live vegetation fuels and their susceptibility to fire ignition and spread.
More than one million acres in Oregon burned last year as the state was gripped by a historic wildfire season. Looking ahead at this fire season, officials are worried given how dry conditions were this spring.
Whereas public lands often have the infrastructure to help keep people safe like trails for people to hike on, or fire rings in campgrounds to contain campfires, private timberlands do not have the infrastructure to handle public visits safely.
Since most of Oregon’s wildfires are started by people, public visits to private land have the potential to be dangerous for both the public visitors as well as the timberlands.
To compound the issue, since the beginning of the pandemic, more people are choosing to spend time outdoors.
Todd Payne, CEO of Seneca, said “We think it is great that people are spending more time outdoors, we just want them to do it safely.” Oregonians can check Oregon’s recreation site map status to plan visits to public land.
With a combined timberland acreage of around 600,000 acres, Seneca, Lone Rock Resources, Giustina Resources, Campbell Global, and Giustina Land & Timber Company will close public access to their lands in Benton, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Linn, and Polk counties on Monday, June 28, 2021.
“Oregonians and landowners alike cannot afford another devastating year like 2020. Given the risks we face this year, we are choosing to be proactive in order to limit danger to the public, firefighters, and the forests.” Said Brennan Garrelts with Lone Rock Resources.
