BMIDC Morning Briefing, Thursday, June 30th, 2022

 

BMIDC MORNING BRIEFING
Thursday, June 30th, 2022
BMIDC WEBSITE
06/29 (NEW) INITIAL ATTACK	Fires	Acres
Umatilla National Forest	0	0
Wallowa Whitman National Forest	0	0
Vale/PRD District BLM Baker Area	0	0
NEO Oregon Department of Forestry	0	0
WA DNR Snake River Unit	0	0
BIA Umatilla Agency	0	0
Total	0	0
INCIDENT SUMMARY
Fire Activity  06/29  Initial Attack  No IA To Report  Example: OR-974S-001114, Buck. WAL ODF.  T4N R44E Sec 11 NWNW. Courtney Creek Area. 29 Miles North of Enterprise, OR.  .1 Acres.  Unknown Cause.  ODF Stat Fire.  Resources Responded 9/29.  Contained 9/29.  Grass.

BMIDC Morning Briefing, Wednesday, June 29th, 2022

 

BMIDC MORNING BRIEFING
Wednesday, June 29th, 2022
BMIDC WEBSITE
06/28 (NEW) INITIAL ATTACK	Fires	Acres
Umatilla National Forest	0	0
Wallowa Whitman National Forest	0	0
Vale/PRD District BLM Baker Area	0	0
NEO Oregon Department of Forestry	0	0
WA DNR Snake River Unit	0	0
BIA Umatilla Agency	0	0
Total	0	0
INCIDENT SUMMARY
Fire Activity 06/28 Initial Attack No IA To Report Example: OR-974S-001114, Buck. WAL ODF.  T4N R44E Sec 11 NWNW. Courtney Creek Area. 29 Miles North of Enterprise, OR.  .1 Acres.  Unknown Cause.  ODF Stat Fire.  Resources Responded 9/29.  Contained 9/29.  Grass.

Safely enjoy the Umatilla National Forest for Independence Day

 

Fireworks prohibited on National Forest lands

PENDLETON, Ore. (June 28, 2022) — With the Independence Day holiday approaching, Umatilla National Forest officials remind visitors to safely enjoy public lands by leaving fireworks at home and taking other precautions to prevent wildfire.

“National Forests are a great place to celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s independence and we hope many of you enjoy time in these special places, but please help us prevent human caused fires by leaving fireworks at home,” said Eric Watrud, Forest Supervisor.

Forest regulations prohibit possessing, discharging, or using any kind of fireworks, including sparklers and smoke bombs, on National Forest lands. Violators can be subject to a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail (36 CFR 261.52).  Anyone who starts a wildfire can be held liable for suppression costs.

In addition, while areas of the Umatilla National Forest look green, forest fuels are drying out quickly so please be careful with campfires, cigarettes, and chainsaws. Forest visitors should build their campfires in a fire pit surrounded by dirt, rock, or commercial rings, in areas cleared of all flammable material within a three-foot radius from the edge of the pit and free of overhanging material. A shovel and one gallon of water are recommended to be in your possession while building and tending campfires. These safety guidelines also apply to the use of charcoal briquettes.

Most campgrounds on the Umatilla National Forest are open and charge fees ranging from $8 to $24 per night. Other fees may be imposed for additional vehicles parked at a single campsite. The Umatilla National Forest is also now offering campsite reservations at Bull Prairie Lake, Jubilee Lake, North Fork John Day and Olive Lake campgrounds. Individual campsites can be reserved through https://www.recreation.gov. Reservations made through recreation.gov will include an $8 transaction fee in addition to the campsite fee. All other campgrounds on the Forest remain available as first-come, first-served.

To ensure a safe and successful weekend trip, recreationists are urged to:

• Contact the local Ranger District office before you head out to make sure the area you’re traveling to is accessible or if restrictions are in place.
  • The Umatilla National Forest may have Public Use Restrictions in place on the Forest. Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest’s Public Use Restrictions is available on the Umatilla National Forest Information Hotline at 1-877-958-9663.
• Be extremely careful with campfires and never leave a campfire unattended.
• Obtain a Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for the area you’re visiting if you plan to ride ATVs, OHVs or motorcycles.
• Be prepared. Pack additional food, water, clothing and other emergency supplies.
• Let someone know your destination and estimated time of return. Cell phone service is often unavailable in the mountains.

The fire danger rating will move to MODERATE on Friday, July 1. The public’s awareness of the increasing fire danger and cooperation is essential to a safe fire season. Recreationists, firewood cutters, hunters, and other forest users can all help by closely adhering to restrictions, operating safely and cautiously, and keeping up to date on the latest orders and regulations.

Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.

###

Oregon Department of Forestry begins fire season in Northeast Oregon District

La Grande, OR- While Spring 2022 has brought more precipitation than the previous few years, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is seeing vegetation drying occurring across the Northeast Oregon District. Fuel conditions are changing rapidly as the summer weather pattern sets in. This change in weather conditions has prompted ODF to begin fire season on private forest lands in northeast Oregon.

FIRE SEASON will begin at 12:01 a.m., Friday, July 1st for forest and range lands protected by ODF Northeast Oregon District. “We’ve seen a little reprieve this spring and early summer. Fire Season has been announced in June for the past few years, so it’s been good to have some delay this year.” Said Matt Howard, District Forester.

The fire season declaration places fire prevention restrictions on landowners and 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.

Howard states “Those spring storms have provided some much-needed moisture. However, this moisture has caused a lot of growth in our fine fuels, such as grasses, small brush, and shrubs. These are often our carrier fuels and are more susceptible to quickly drying and becoming ready-to-burn faster.”

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 and fully extinguished before being left. Get permission from the landowner prior to starting a campfire.

• The use of Sky Lanterns is always illegal in Oregon.

For information on restrictions across the Northeast Oregon District, dial: (541) 975-3027 or visit www.bmidc.org, for current information on fire restrictions.

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.