Central Oregon federal public lands to implement public use fire, other restrictions on Thursday

Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 begins, also called 'Partial Hootowl'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – With weather predictions indicating high temperatures and fuel moisture levels decreasing across the region, the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Deschutes National Forest, the Ochoco National Forest, and the Crooked River National Grassland, are implementing public use restrictions and moving to an Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 on Thursday to reduce the occurrence of human-caused wildfires.

Effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, 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, Big River, 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 Campground.

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, Three Creek Horse Camp, and Whispering Pine 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 Crooked River – Castle Rock, Chimney Rock, Cobble Rock, Lone Pine, Palisades, Poison Butte, Post Pile, and Still Water.

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 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 are allowed when operated in a responsible manner and fuel by bottled propane or liquid fuel. 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, portable propane campfire devices are still prohibited in these areas.

Also, effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 28, 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 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 IFPL restrictions protect the land, resources, and visitors. Every year lightning-caused fires place a heavy demand on our firefighting resources and put our public lands, 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 on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, the Crooked River National Grassland, and Prineville District BLM.

For current wildland fire information, the public can visit centraloregonfire.org or follow fire information on Twitter @CentralORfire and for current Central Oregon Fire Precaution Information call 1-800-523-4737. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire.