July 26, 2017 - Fire danger and restrictions increasing in South Central Oregon

Fire danger and restrictions increasing in South Central Oregon

LAKEVIEW, Ore. – The fire danger will be elevated to “Extreme” July 28, 2017. Additionally the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will be increasing to Level 3 within lands under the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership and Public Use Restrictions are also being implemented in several areas.

Both the IFPL 3 and Public Use Restrictions go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 28, 2017. Under IFPL 3, personal use woodcutters are prohibited from operating power saws, per the rules and regulations issued with the permit.

Public Use Restrictions are being implemented on lands 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.

The only Lakeview District BLM lands not included in this are those within the Klamath Falls BLM Resource Area west of Langell Valley.  This area is under the protection of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).  For information on specific restrictions in areas under ODF’s fire protection, please visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspx.

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 the fire precautionary requirements may result in a violation notice. 

Restrictions:

·         Campfires are only allowed in designated campgrounds or areas.  Smoking is restricted to enclosed vehicles or designated areas. 

·         Motorized vehicles can only be operated on roads clear of flammable vegetation and parking off roadways must be done in areas barren of flammable material. 

·         Chain saw use is prohibited, portable generators can only be used in designated areas and spark arresters are required on any internal combustion engine being operated. 

·         Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame is also prohibited.

·         Anyone entering federal lands under these restrictions must also carry a shovel at least 26 inches long with a blade no less than 8 inches wide, an axe or Pulaski with at least a 26-inch handle and a head weight no less than 2 pounds, and at least 1 gallon of water or a 2.5 pound fully charged fire extinguisher.

Violations of these prohibitions are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment of not more than 6 months, or both.

For more IFPL information and a list of designated sites and areas associated with the Public Use Restrictions, please visit http://scofmp.org/ifpls.shtml or call the Lakeview Interagency Fire Center at 541-947-6259.

The Mount Thielsen, Sky Lakes and Mountain Lakes Wilderness Areas will not be included under Public Use Restrictions. However, visitors should be aware of current conditions and the potential for restrictions in Wilderness Areas as fire season continues.

Crater Lake National Park will be implementing Stage 1 Fire Restrictions 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 28, 2017, prohibiting campfires in the backcountry and restricting campfires and smoking to designated areas.  For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/crla and select “Alerts”.

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 Klamath-Lake District 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