Industrial Fire Precaution Level Increases (IFPL 2) Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Lakeview, OR– Effective 12:01 a.m. (0001 hrs.) today, July 12th, Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) has increased to Level 2 on the following lands in the SCOFMP area:

Those administered by the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Lakeview District and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Complex and Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex are effected.

These SCOFMP areas are excluded from IFPL changes:

• Crater Lake National Park

• Lakeview District BLM lands within the Klamath Falls Resource Area west of Langell Valley.  This area is under the protection of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

Information regarding restrictions that apply to ODF protected lands may be obtained by calling (541) 883-5681 or visiting the following Web site: http://www.oregon.gov/odf/pages/fire/ifpl.aspx

Under IFPL 2, the following fire precautionary requirements are placed on power saw operations:

• Power saws and welding equipment may not be operated between the hours of 1 p.m. (1300 hours) and 8 p.m. (2000 hours).

• All power saw exhaust systems must be in good repair and include a screen-type spark arrester of 0.023 inches or less.

• All power saw operators must be in possession of the following equipment:

1. A long-handled, round point shovel with a blade not less than eight inches wide.

1. A pressurized chemical fire extinguisher of not less than eight ounces capacity by weight.

• Before refueling a power saw, the refueling spot must be clear of all flammable material, including vegetation. The chainsaw must be restarted only after the operator has moved away from the refueling area.

• All power saw operators must stay in the cutting area for one hour after the chainsaw is shut off to watch for fire starts.

Personal and commercial woodcutters are reminded of their responsibility to stay informed of current IFPLs and all restrictions that apply to activities conducted on public lands. Failure to comply with fire precautionary requirements may result in the issuance of a Violation Notice.

Information on the IFPL or current restrictions may be obtained by calling the Lakeview Interagency Fire Center at 541-947-6259 or visiting its Web site at: http://www.scofmp.org/lifc.shtml

The South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership is an interagency fire management program that provides comprehensive wildland fire service to south central Oregon and northwest Nevada. The partnership strives to achieve a more efficient, effective and integrated interagency fire management program for all participating agencies on the lands administered and protected by each agency.

Participating agencies include: Fremont-Winema National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District, Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Crater Lake National Park and state lands protected by the Klamath-Lake District of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

For more information, contact Fire Information Officer Sarah Saarloos with the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership at 541-219-0515 or ssaarloos@fs.fed.us. Daily wildfire information, maps and social media links can be found at SCOFMP Blog: http://bit.ly/2sK5YHY