Oregon Department of Forestry eases some Public Use Restrictions

La Grande, OR— As of 12:01 a.m., August 28, 2018, the Oregon Department of Forestry Northeast Oregon District has eased restrictions within the Public Use Restrictions, or Regulated Use Closure. Current and forecasted weather conditions have prompted these decisions by fire managers. Fire Season is still in effect and while some of the restrictions have eased, the following restrictions are still in effect.
• Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except at designated locations. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed.

• Chain saw use is prohibited, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Chain saw use is permitted at all other hours, if the following firefighting equipment is present with each operating saw: one axe, one shovel, and one 8 ounce or larger fire extinguisher. In addition, a fire watch is required at least one hour following the use of each saw.

• Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water, or at a cleared area.

• Use of motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), is prohibited except on improved roads and for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.

• Cutting, grinding and welding of metal is prohibited, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Cutting, grinding and welding is permitted at all other hours, if conducted in a cleared area and if a water supply is present, unless specifically waived by the State Forester.

• Mowing of dried and cured grass with power driven equipment is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8 p.m.

• Use of fireworks is prohibited.

• Any electric fence controller in use shall be: 1) Listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or be certified by the Department of Consumer and Business Services; and 2) Operated in compliance with manufacturer’s instructions.

Debris burning (including burn barrels) is also currently prohibited. During fire season, the use exploding targets and tracer ammunition is prohibited.

For further information, contact the Oregon Department of Forestry at these local offices:

La Grande Unit (541) 963-3168

Baker City Sub-Unit (541) 523-5831

Wallowa Unit (541) 886-2881

Pendleton Unit (541) 276-3491

To report a fire, dial 9-1-1.

For information on the weekends call:
Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center La Grande (541) 963-7171

Please check with your local Forest Service office for fire regulations on National Forest land. 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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