State, feds tighten C. Oregon fire restrictions Friday

Increasing wildfire danger has prompted the Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to tighten public fire prevention restrictions as of Friday.

Oregon Department of Forestry news release:

Increasing wildfire danger has prompted the Oregon Department of Forestry to tighten public fire prevention restrictions in its Central Oregon District, starting Friday.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District will put restrictions in force on private and non-federal public forestlands in 12 counties including Harney, Morrow, Grant, Wheeler, Gilliam, Hood River, Wasco, Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson, along with small portions of Umatilla and Lake counties.

District Forester George Ponte said very dry vegetation due to the ongoing drought and warm weather is resulting in quickly rising fire danger levels.

“We are at a point where new wildfires are growing quickly and becoming more difficult and expensive to control,” he said. “These restrictions are intended to eliminate human-caused fires as we will soon be busy enough with lightning-caused fires.”

The following activities are restricted or prohibited on private and non-federal public lands::

* 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. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed. Open fires are allowed if conducted in compliance with a valid Burning Permit issued pursuant to ORS 477.515.

* Chainsaw use is prohibited between the hours of 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Chainsaw use is permitted at all other hours, if the following firefighting equipment is present with each operating saw: one ax, one shovel, and one 8-ounce or larger fire extinguisher. In addition, a fire watch is required for at least one hour following the use of each saw.

* Cutting, grinding and welding of metal is prohibited between the hours of 1 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. At all other times the area is to be cleared of flammable vegetation and the following fire equipment is required: one ax, one shovel, and one 2-?1/2 pound or larger fire extinguisher in good working order.

* 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 on their own land while conducting activities associated with their livelihood.

* 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 2-?1/2 pound or larger fire extinguisher, except all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, which must be equipped with an approved spark arrestor in good working condition.

* Mowing of dried grass with power-driven equipment is prohibited between the hours of 10a.m. and 8 p.m., except for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.

* Use of fireworks is prohibited.

* The release of sky lanterns is prohibited.

* The discharging of exploding targets or tracer ammunition is prohibited.

* Blasting is prohibited.

* Any electric fence controller in use shall be: 1) listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or certified by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services; and 2) operated in compliance with manufacturer’s instructions.

“Landowners and forest operators, and the general public need to be extremely cautious,” Ponte said. “Under the right conditions a spark, campfire or carelessly tossed cigarette could result in a large, destructive and costly wildfire that puts firefighters and the public at risk.

“People should also know that all new fires starts are thoroughly investigated to determine the cause of the fire. If investigators determine who is responsible, that person or persons could be held liable for the firefighting costs, which can be in the millions of dollars.”

U.S. Forest Service/BLM news release:

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, federal public lands across Central Oregon will limit the hours of operation for chainsaws and certain other activities in order to better protect against wildfire danger.

These protections extend to all lands managed by the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests, the Crooked River National Grassland and the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land Management.

With a lack of precipitation and warming temperatures, fuel conditions continue to dry out across the region, officials said. In recent weeks, firefighters have already responded to numerous lightning- and human-caused wildfires throughout Central Oregon.

Under Industrial Fire Protection Level 2, also known as “Partial Hootowl,” the following may operate only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. local time:

• power saws except at loading sites;

• cable yarding;

• blasting; and

• welding or cutting of metal.

A loading site is defined as a place where any product or material (including, but not limited to logs, firewood, slash, soil, rock, poles, etc.) is placed in or upon a truck or other vehicle.

Industrial Fire Protection Levels do not regulate the use of campfires, which are handled under Public Use Restrictions.

Currently, the only campfire restrictions on federal public lands in Central Oregon are annual restrictions along BLM rivers.

For more information, contact your local Forest Service or BLM office.