Oregon Dept. of Forestry’s North Cascade District enters fire season

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The North Cascade District of the Oregon Department of Forestry entered fire season at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

Lands protected by North Cascade District of ODF are affected by this declaration, which include private and non-federal public lands. 

Districts decide when to start fire season based on fuel conditions, fire behavior, long term weather forecasts, and fire activity in the area.  Activities prohibited during fire season, regardless of the fire danger level, include use of exploding targets and tracer ammunition and backyard debris burning, including in burn barrels. 

A full description of all fire season restrictions is available at www.oregon.gov/odf/fire. Counties and local fire departments may have additional restrictions in place. Check restrictions in your local area to help prevent wildfires.

Additionally, workers on forest operations are prohibited from smoking in operation areas and blasting without a permit. In addition to these restrictions, forest operations are required to follow specific prevention guidelines. These guidelines are intended to reduce the risk of fire starts, but also promote quick detection and  swift response when fires do start.