Hunters and campers are encouraged to be vigilant while in the woods

La Grande, OR-As many people head out to enjoy this late summer weather trend and the opportunities to recreate in northeast Oregon, Oregon Department of Forestry would like to remind everyone about the need to be cautious. Despite the relatively moderate weather conditions the region has been experiencing, fire danger measurements still show the region at high fire danger.

“We love patrolling and seeing all the folks out enjoying what the area has to offer. What we don’t enjoy is the calls for fires, especially those caused by humans. We tend to get a jump in our human-caused fires this time of year.” said Logan McCrae, Unit Forester, La Grande Unit. “Make sure you know what the regulations are for the area you’re headed to. We also ask everyone to be vigilant and keep an eye out for fires. If you find a fire, report it as soon as you can.”

This year to date, 26% of the fires that ODF Northeast Oregon District has had have been human-caused. These fires have burned a total of 25.2 acres. These numbers are encouraging for fire managers. “Our 10-year average for human-caused fires is 38%. We’re thrilled that people are being very fire cautious. Fire crews are still responding to reports of abandoned or escaped campfires though.” McCrae said.

It’s important to remember that during the Regulated Use Closure, campfires are only allowed in designated campgrounds. These campgrounds include, but are not limited to, campgrounds at the following Oregon State Parks:

*Emigrant Springs *Ukiah Dale

*Catherine Creek *Hilgard Junction

*Red Bridge *Wallowa Lake

Citizens are asked to continue to use caution and adhere to the Regulated Use Closure in effect for lands protected by Oregon Department of Forestry. The public is also reminded that the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, as well as the BLM currently have public use restrictions in effect. Current fire restrictions for forestlands in Northeast Oregon can be found at www.bmidc.org.

http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/ is your spot for current fire information in the Blue
Mountains.

To report a fire, call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at (541)963-7171 or dial 9-1-1.