Rainfall Brings Relief – Fire Season Remains in Effect

(DFPA) Additional rainfall has allowed the Douglas Forest Protective Association to drop the fire danger to LOW on all DFPA protected lands. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level will remain at IFPL II. Under DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions with a fire danger rating of LOW, there are no shutdown times on the mowing of dead grass, non-industrial power saw use, the cutting, grinding or welding of metal or the use of other power driven machinery. All additional fire prevention restrictions listed in DFPA’s Public Use Restrictions remain in effect and are unchanged. • Backyard debris burning, including the use of burn barrels, is prohibited. • Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires, except at designated sites. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed elsewhere. • Smoking is prohibited in wildland areas except in vehicles, in boats on the water or at other designated locations. • The use of fireworks are prohibited. • Motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, are only allowed on improved roads that are free of flammable vegetation, except for the culture and harvest of agricultural crops. In addition, each vehicle traveling on forest roads must have an axe, a shovel, and one gallon of water or one operational 2½ pound or larger fire extinguisher. All-terrain vehicles and motorcycles must be equipped with one operational 2 ½ pound or larger fire extinguisher. • Any electric fence controller in use shall be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or be certified by the Department of Consumer and Business Services and be operated in compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions. In addition to the Public Use Restrictions, state laws prohibit the use of exploding targets and tracer ammunition during a declared fire season and the use sky lanterns are prohibited year-round in Oregon. Additional fire restrictions or closures may be in place through private industrial landowners or public land management agencies on the lands they own or manage. For more information about public or industrial fire restrictions, visit www.dfpa.net or call DFPA’s information line at 541-672-0379.