Fire danger level on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry South Cascades and Western Lane districts increased to “High” (yellow) on Tuesday, July 4.
That development affects approximately 1.9 million acres of state, private, county and Bureau of Land Management lands in Linn, Lane and portions of Douglas County.
An ODF announcement of the change warned that any spark has the potential to start a wildfire.
“Dry conditions in the districts make it that much easier for a fire to catch and spread. Residents and travelers need to be vigilant when it comes to wildfire prevention. This means not parking over dried grass, responsible and legal use of fireworks, recreating responsibly and following local restrictions.”
The primary difference between current fire prevention restrictions and those beginning on Tuesday affects the public use of power-driven equipment, such as chain saws, mowers, weed eaters, and more. The use of power-driven equipment, grinding, cutting of metal, and other spark-emitting equipment, such as wood splitters and generators, will be prohibited between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
This does not apply to mowing green lawns.
Other fire prevention regulations that will remain in effect include:
- No debris burning, including piles and debris burned in burn barrels.
- No fireworks on or within one-eighth of a mile of ODF-protected land.
- Exploding targets and tracer ammunition, or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base, are prohibited.
- Campfires are allowed only in approved designated locations. Portable stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels may be used in other locations that are clear of dry vegetation.
- Motorized vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain, are allowed only on improved roads; one shovel and one gallon of water, or one 2.5 pound or larger fire extinguisher, is required while traveling.
- Smoking while traveling will only be allowed in enclosed vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water and other specifically designated locations.
- The mowing of dead or dried grass with power-driven equipment is not allowed between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. during high fire danger.
ODF urges Oregonians to be responsible this summer and actively practice wildfire prevention. For the full list of restrictions, visit https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspx. For more wildfire prevention tips, visit keeporegongreen.org.