High Desert public lands move to ‘moderate’ fire danger; Oregon Dept. of Forestry C.O. district set to enter fire season

(Update: USFS, BLM in region move to moderate fire danger)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – All lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District will enter fire season on Monday at 12:01 a.m., the agency announced Friday, while the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests and the BLM's Prineville District have moved to moderate fire danger.

Starting Monday, the ODF district’s fire danger level also will be “Moderate,” and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will be I (one) in MH-4 and MH-1 (Hood River and Wasco County). 

"Temperatures are heating up and vegetation is starting to dry. One less spark means one less wildfire - do your part to prevent wildfires!" Central Oregon fire officials said in Friday's X post.

Earlier this year, fire managers were optimistic regarding this year’s fire season due to the higher-than-normal snowpack. However, due to the decline in spring rain, rise in temperatures, and windy conditions, the fine fuels in the district have begun to dry significantly, ODF said. 

So far this year, the district has experienced 16 fires, of which half were escaped debris burns. Debris burning is the No. 1 cause of human-caused fires. Most Central Oregon counties have also enacted debris burn bans. Be sure to check fire restrictions in your local area.  ODF recommends covering your pile until the rainy fall season, when it’s safer to burn. 

With that in mind, the Central Oregon District will begin implementing restrictions based on fire danger level. Moderate fire danger level restricts the following activities: 

• No debris burning, including piles and burn barrels, unless permitted by the local forester.

• No fireworks on or within 1/8 of a mile of ODF-protected land. 

• Exploding targets and tracer ammunition, or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base, are prohibited. 

• No smoking while traveling through or working in any operation area.

In addition to the fire prevention requirements Under IFPL I (one), the following will go into effect:

• A fire watch is required for a minimum of one hour during breaks and at the end of the operational period.

Additional fire restrictions or regulations may apply depending on the various fire risks throughout the fire season.

The Oregon Department of Forestry urges residents to not become complacent in wildfire prevention. The fewer human-caused fires we have, the less the district’s resources are strained. For tips on wildfire prevention, visit www.keeporegongreen.org  

For more information on the Central Oregon District and fire season regulations, visit https://odfcentraloregon.com/. Check your local restrictions at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspx.