La Grande, OR- A warming and drying trend in the forecast has prompted Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to begin fire season on private forest lands in northeast Oregon. ODF is seeing fire danger increasing across the Northeast Oregon District as a whole.
FIRE SEASON will begin at
12:01 a.m., Saturday, June 22nd for forest and rangelands protected by ODF
Northeast Oregon District. “Early in the fire season, it’s important to
know what fire restrictions are in effect. We really want to encourage
folks to make sure they are getting out regularly and checking any place where
slash or debris piles were burned late last winter and this spring. Those
areas can hold heat for a long time and cause fires to rekindle months
later.” Said Matt Howard, District Forester.
The fire season declaration places fire prevention restrictions on landowners and the public. Additionally, fire prevention regulations on industrial logging and forest management activities are put into place. Lands affected include private, state, county, municipal, and tribal lands in Union, Baker, Wallowa, and Umatilla counties along with small portions of Malheur, Morrow, and Grant counties within the Northeast Oregon Forest Protection District. This area encompasses approximately 2 million acres of protected lands. ODF encourages landowners and the public to help prevent accidental ignitions by taking extra precautions while recreating or working, it can make a difference.
For information on restrictions across the Northeast Oregon District, dial: (541) 975-3027 or visit www.bmidc.org, for current information on fire restrictions.
During Fire Season:
· Debris burning is by permit only. To obtain a burn permit for a debris pile or
burn barrel, please call your local ODF office.
o Baker
City Sub-Unit: (541) 523-5831
o La Grande
Unit: (541) 963-3168
o Pendleton
Unit: (541) 276-3491
o Wallowa
Unit: (541) 886-2881
·The use of exploding targets, tracer ammunition, or any bullet with a
pyrotechnic charge in its base is prohibited.
·Logging and other industrial operations must meet requirements for fire
prevention, such as fire tools, water supply, and watchman service when those
operations are occurring on lands protected by ODF. Contact your local
Stewardship Forester at any NEO District office for more information.
·Campfires must be DEAD OUT! Recreationists are reminded that campfires need to be attended to and fully extinguished before being left.
·Possession of the following firefighting equipment is required; shovel or other firefighting tool, minimum of 1-gallon of water, or 2 ½ pound or larger fire extinguisher and a fire watch at least one hour after extinguishing. Get permission from the landowner prior to starting a campfire.
·The use of Sky Lanterns is always illegal in Oregon.
To report a fire, dial 9-1-1.
Make sure you know the fire
restrictions before you head out. Check with your local Forest Service
office for fire regulations on National Forest land, or BLM office for lands
managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Information on Public-Use
Restrictions on the Oregon Department of Forestry, Umatilla National Forest and
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest can be found at http://bmidc.org/index.shtml under
Current Information: Fire Restrictions.
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