Campfire restrictions begin Friday on C.O. public lands

With hot and dry conditions expected to continue, increasing numbers of wildfires around the Northwest, and fire suppression resources already responding to a high number of human-caused wildfires around Central Oregon, the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Deschutes National Forest and the Ochoco National Forest, including the Crooked River National Grassland, are implementing campfire restrictions.

Effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, open fires, including charcoal fires and portable campfires, will be prohibited, except in the following designated campgrounds:

Crescent Ranger District: Contorta Flat, Contorta Point, Crescent Lake, Simax Group, Spring, Sunset Cove, Trapper Creek, Whitefish Horse Camp, Windy Group Site, Industrial Mushroom Camp (Little Odell Butte).

Bend-Ft. Rock Ranger District: Crane Prairie, Cultus Lake, Elk Lake, Fall River, Fall River Guard Station, Gull Point, Lava Lake, Little Cultus Lake, Little Fawn, Little Fawn Group, Little Lava Lake, Mallard Marsh, North Twin, Point, Quinn Meadow Horse Camp, Quinn River, Rock Creek, Sheep Bridge, South, South Twin, West South Twin, Big River Group, Bull Bend, Wyeth, Cinder Hill, East Lake, Little Crater, Newberry Group, Ogden Group, Paulina Lake, Prairie.

Sisters Ranger District: Allen Springs, Allingham, Blue Bay, Camp Sherman, Candle Creek, Cold Spring, Driftwood, Gorge, Graham Corral, Indian Ford, Jack Creek, 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, Three Creek Horse Camp, Whispering Pine.

Paulina Ranger District: Sugar Creek, Wolf Creek.

Lookout Mtn. Ranger District: Antelope Flat Reservoir, Deep Creek, Ochoco Divide, Ochoco Forest, Walton Lake and Wildcat.

Crooked River National Grassland: Skull Hollow and Haystack Reservoir.

Prineville BLM: Big Bend, Castle Rock, Still Water, Lone Pine, Palisades, Chimney Rock, Cobble Rock, Post Pile, and Poison Butte.

These restrictions do not apply to wilderness areas on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Prineville BLM.

In addition to campfire restrictions, smoking is restricted to an enclosed vehicle or building, in a designated campground, in boats on lakes and rivers, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is clear of all flammable material. Portable cooking stoves or lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel may be used in all areas.

Officials want to remind the public that using explosive target material, such as Tannerite, explosives, and fireworks continue to be prohibited on all federal lands.

The Prineville BLM, Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland have already moved to an Industrial Fire Precaution Level III (IFPL). The IFPL applies to permitted and industrial operations, including woodcutting, on federal lands.

IFPL III is considered a “partial shutdown” and restricts the use of chainsaws to loading sites on tractor/skidder operations to between the hours of 8 p.m. to 1 p.m. Only cable yarding systems that use non-motorized systems are allowed. Industrial welding and mechanized loading operations are also restricted to the hours of 8 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Industrial and permitted operations may request a waiver from the Forest Service or BLM depending on land ownership at the activity location. It is the responsibility of all operators to know and follow the requirements of the current fire precaution level.

More information about both IFPL and Public Use Restrictions can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/centraloregon/home/?cid=fsbdev3_035880

Public use restrictions help protect the land, resources, and visitors. Officials carefully consider the current fire situation, fuel moisture and predicted weather before making the decision to implement fire restrictions.

Every year, lightning-caused fires place a heavy demand on our firefighting resources, and put our wildlands, our firefighters and our communities at risk.

Fires caused through carelessness or negligence only increase the threat to life and livelihood, and place an even greater burden on already busy firefighters. Every fire that’s prevented protects our communities and helps our firefighters remain available, rested and safe.