June 25, 2020
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jamie Knight (541)786-2039
La Grande, OR-
While wetter conditions were prevalent throughout the spring across much of the
Oregon Department of Forestry-Northeast Oregon District, the weather is changing
to a typical summer pattern of warmer and drier conditions. The expected trend of fuel conditions in the
region has prompted fire managers to announce the beginning of Fire Season on
private lands protected by ODF. This
declaration is initiated in an effort to reduce the number of human-caused
fires this summer. “The fuel conditions
will change rapidly with these summer weather conditions. In some areas, we have an abundance of light
and flashy fuels. These fuels will dry
out quickly with the hotter and drier weather.
These flashy fuels will often carry fire rapidly when they have dried
out.” Said Joe Hessel, District
Forester.
FIRE SEASON will
begin at 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, July 1 for forest and rangelands protected by
ODF Northeast Oregon District. 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
protected acres.
During Fire Season 2020:
·
Debris burning
is prohibited this season. This
includes ALL burn barrels and debris piles.
·
Campfires must be DEAD OUT! Recreationists are reminded that campfires
need to be attended and fully extinguished before being left. Get permission from the landowner before
starting a campfire.
·
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 ODF office for more information.
“This year,
debris burning is prohibited from the beginning of Fire Season. We normally restrict debris burning a month
or so into Fire Season, depending on conditions. This change is an effort to mitigate COVID-19
exposure potential for the public and our firefighters. We also want to be sensitive to negative
smoke impacts for our vulnerable populations, and reduce the resource
commitments typically associated with escaped fires.” Said Hessel.
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
Make sure you
know what the fire restrictions are 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.
http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/
is
your spot for current fire information in the Blue Mountains.
#
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