Forest Service warns of human-caused wildfire danger, offers tips, recreation updates

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- This week’s record-breaking heat wave is finally behind us (for western Oregon, anyway), but the risk of wildfire isn’t. This is not the time to become complacent about the danger of sparking a human-caused fire, Forest Service fire officials warn.

“People ask all the time how they can help firefighters. One of the biggest ways is to help prevent the start of fires,” said Alex Robinson, Director of Fire, Fuels and Aviation for the Pacific Northwest Region and Alaska.

Weather experts forecast an elevated risk of severe fire throughout all of Oregon and in eastern Washington through this weekend.

Land managers base decisions regarding public use restrictions and seasonal burn bans on current conditions. Fire departments, county sheriff’s departments, and regional dispatch centers may be good sources to check for information about the current level of fire risk and current restrictions in their area. On National Forests in Washington and Oregon, public use restrictions are posted to the forest’s website.

Explosives and pyrotechnic devices, including fireworks and explosive targets, are prohibited on National Forests in Oregon and Washington at all times. Violators who bring fireworks onto national forests and grasslands can be fined up to $5,000 and sentenced with up to six months in jail (36 CFR 261.52). Anyone who starts a wildfire can be held liable by the government for suppression costs, and may be subject to civil liability for private property damage.

Fire knows no boundaries – so it’s important for community members and forest visitors to respect burn bans and other safety-related fire and public use restrictions for both public and privately-owned lands, and to familiarize themselves with fire prevention practices, Robinson said.

“We’ll never know the name of the fire we didn’t start. Small steps make a big difference,” he said.

More fire prevention and safety tips for the July 4 holiday:

• Don’t start a fire unless you have the tools to put it out! Keep plenty of water and a shovel nearby. Never leave a fire burning unattended. Put out fires by dousing embers with water, stirring, and dousing again until the ashes are cool to the touch.
  
• If your holiday plans include cooking outdoors, use a gas grill or have a plan to dispose of burned coals safely. Hot embers and charcoal can smolder for days, then reemerge as flames long after you’ve left.
  
• When camping, check ahead to see if campfires are allowed at your locations and use metal fire rings where provided. Consider using a gas or liquid fuel stove that can be turned off when not in use instead of a charcoal grill or campfire.
  
• Make sure your vehicle is in good repair before travelling. Hot weather can lead to tire blowouts and riding on rims creates sparks. If towing a camper, boat or trailer, ensure tow chains are elevated to prevent dragging across rocks or pavement - which can also create sparks. Avoid driving or parking over dry brush or grass; your vehicle’s undercarriage gets very hot and could ignite a fire.
  
• Motorized equipment, including ATVs, and motorbikes and chainsaws, should be recently-serviced and have working spark-arrestors.
  
• Lawnmower blades can create sparks if they strike rocks – make sure you clear your yard of debris before mowing. During extremely dry weather, limit use of mowers, tractors and chainsaws to the coolest hours of the day, and switch to lower-risk activities like pulling weeds and removing brush by hand and using a string-based trimmer to cut back tall grass.

Recreation updates

In Oregon,

MT. HOOD NATIONAL FOREST: Beginning Friday, July 2, all campfires, charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires, or any other open fires will be prohibited under a Forest Order, including in developed campgrounds, due to increased risk of fires as a result of continued hot, dry conditions. Portable cooking stoves and lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel, such as propane, will be allowed as they can be instantly switched off.  Additionally, target shooting is temporarily prohibited. Extensive road and area closures remain in effect on lands impacted by large fires in late 2020 (visit the forest website for more information).

WILLAMETTE NF: Access to several popular recreation areas on the Willamette National Forest is limited by road or area closures due to various disruptions, including hazards created by last year’s large fires. Current information is available on the forest website.

DESCHUTES NF: Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are now required for visitors to open portions of the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington and Three Sisters Wilderness areas (some areas remain closed due to last year’s Lionhead fire); find more details here. Periodic road closures are scheduled in the Phil’s Trail area, find more information here. Current trail conditions are available here. Public use restrictions limiting smoking and off-road travel and banning open fires, including wood stoves and use of charcoal briquette burners and grills, in dispersed areas and at most developed campgrounds, are in effect. (For a list of exempted campgrounds, click here). For more information about current fire activity and risk levels on public lands across central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org.

OCHOCO NF & CROOKED RIVER NATIONAL GRASSLAND: Most areas are open. For the current recreation conditions report, click here. To reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires, public use restrictions have been implemented in all areas, including Wilderness. The restrictions limit smoking and off-road travel, and ban on all open fires, including wood stoves and use of charcoal briquette burners and grills, in dispersed areas and at most developed campgrounds. (For a list of exempted campgrounds, click here). For more information about current fire activity and risk levels on public lands across central Oregon, visit centraloregonfire.org.

FREMONT-WINEMA NF: Public use restrictions are now in effect, which limits smoking outside a building or vehicle. The restrictions limit smoking and off-road travel, and ban on all open fires, including wood stoves and use of charcoal briquette burners and grills except at designated campgrounds. South Central Oregon is experiencing severe drought conditions; anyone travelling on wildlands is urged to be extremely cautious with fire, including recreation activities that may inadvertently spark a fire, and carry water and tools to put out a fire if one occurs. For current information about public use restrictions that may be in effect, call the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership information line at (541) 947-6259 or visit the partnership’s website. For a list of recreation areas and status updates, visit the forest’s website.

ROGUE RIVER-SISKIYOU NF: Seasonal Stage 1 campfire restrictions are now in effect for all non-Wilderness areas, and Stage 2 restrictions are now in effect on the Lower Rogue River. Campfire and alcohol restrictions are in effect along the Recreation section of the Illinois River through Labor Day. Camping and campfires are always prohibited in the Ashland Municipal Watershed. Road work on Bear Camp Road (Forest Road 23) will result in delays of up to 45 minutes for drivers travelling from Grants Pass to Gold Beach on weekdays; vehicles towing campers or trailers and anyone wishing to avoid construction-related delays should use OR-199. For more forest alerts and notices, visit the forest’s website.

SIUSLAW NF: Sutton Lake boat ramp is temporarily closed to motorized watercraft due to unsafe conditions; personal watercraft may be launched from the ramp with caution. During the summer months, all visitors to beaches and dunes should check for western snowy plover nesting beach restrictions. For more forest alerts and updates, visit the forest’s website.

UMPQUA NF: The forest has implemented Level 1 public use restrictions. Campfires outside Forest Service –constructed concrete or metal fire rings is prohibited in non-wilderness areas. The order places limits on off-road vehicle use, use of generators (outside of developed campgrounds), smoking, and other activities that present a risk for fire. For more information, visit the forest website. For area closures, click here (closure orders are listed under Public Notices).

MALHEUR NF: All forest districts have implemented Phase B of the forest’s Public Use Restrictions plan, which limits certain activities in response to local conditions to reduce fire danger. These restrictions limit smoking and chainsaw use, prohibit use of combustion engines without a working spark-arresting device, and bar most off-road vehicle travel. Charcoal grilling and campfires are permitted only at designated recreation sites. The public can expect to see smoke and low to moderate fire activity on recently-burned units where prescribed fires were recently performed, including Murderers Creek 6, Soda Bear 4 and Galena 30 on the Blue Mountain Ranger District, Elk 16 on the Prairie City district, and Silvies 7 and 12 on the Emigrant Creek district. For more information, visit the forest website.

UMATILLA NF: The Umatilla National Forest currently has Phase A public use restrictions in place on the Forest, which limit certain activities in response to local conditions to reduce fire danger, including smoking, chainsaw use, and off-road vehicle travel. The forest will implement Phase B restrictions on Thursday, July 1. Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest’s Public Use Restrictions is available on the Umatilla National Forest Information Hotline by calling (877) 958-9663. Long-term temporary road closures remain effect along the Umatilla River, South Fork Walla Walla River and Tucannon River due to flood damage. Click here for a map of closed areas and updates on the status of repairs.

WALLOWA-WHITMAN NF: Phase A public use restrictions are in effect, which limit campfires, smoking, and off-road vehicle travel; more information can be found here). Year-round public use restrictions are in effect for Eagle Cap Wilderness along the Snake River in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and on lands located within ¼ mile of the Grande Ronde River in Wallowa County; for more information, click here. For road, trail and recreation site status updates and conditions, click here.

In Washington and Oregon,

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE NSA: Beginning Thursday, July 1, all campfires, charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires, or any other open fires will be prohibited under a Forest Order, including in developed campgrounds, due to increased risk of fires as a result of continued hot, dry conditions. Portable cooking stoves and lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel, such as propane, will be allowed as they can be instantly switched off.  Additionally, target shooting is temporarily prohibited. A timed visitor permit will soon be required for Multnomah Falls, including the viewing platform, restaurant, and visitor center. Tickets willtentatively be available starting July 6at Recreation.gov and will tentatively be required starting July 20. Anyone taking a shuttle will not be required to have a permit. Visit ReadySetGorge or the scenic area’s website for updates on trails and recreation sites.

In Washington,

OLYMPIC NF: Extremely heavy traffic and visitor use is expected along the Lake Cushman corridor during warm weather and on holiday weekends; daytime parking is limited. Alcohol, camping, campfires, and overnight parking are prohibited along Forest Service Road 24 and Forest Service Road 2451. Heavy use is also expected at other lake and river areas throughout the area, including Lake Crescent; visitors are warned warm weather does not mean warm waters; enter water slowly when swimming or wading and wear a properly-fitted, U.S. Coast Guard approved life-jacket when required. Human-habituated and aggressive mountain goats have been reported on high alpine trails; stay at least 50 yards away and yell, wave your arms, or throw rocks to discourage goats from approaching. For more information, click here.  For road conditions, click here.

GIFFORD PINCHOT NF: Beginning Friday, July 2, all campfires, charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires, or any other open fires will be prohibited under a Forest Order, including in developed campgrounds, due to increased risk of fires as a result of continued hot, dry conditions. Portable cooking stoves and lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel, such as propane, will be allowed as they can be instantly switched off.  Additionally, target shooting is temporarily prohibited. Additionally, the Ape Caves recently reopened to the public; timed reservation tickets are now required. Tickets are released on a rolling basis, three days prior to the date of the planned visit. For more information, visit Recreation.gov. For a complete recreation conditions report, visit the forest’s website.

MT. BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NF: Increased interactions between humans and bears have been reported; visitors can help reduce the risk of attracting bears by using bear-safe food storage and waste disposal methods, including use of bear lockers and bear-resistant trash receptacles where offered. Recreation activities that involve travelling at a high rate of speed (such as mountain biking and jogging) also increase the risk of surprise encounters with wildlife; for safety tips, click here. For forest alerts and notices, click here. For road and trail conditions, click here. For recreation site status updates, click here.

OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NF: Public use restrictions are now in effect, which limit campfires, smoking, driving off-road. For more information, click here. Additionally: Rider's Camp will be closed for the season due to hazard trees resulting from a mountain pine beetle activity. For more alerts and notices, visit the forest’s website.

COLVILLE NF: Brown’s Lake, Ferry Lake, Ten Mile and Little Twin Lakes campgrounds are closed due to the presence of hazard trees. Mystic Lake and No Name Lake campgrounds are closed to vehicles and for overnight; walk-in access for day use is allowed. Davis Lake is closed for repairs. For recreation area status updates, click here.