May 25, 2021 1:30 p.m.
The Douglas Forest Protective Association, the Umpqua National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management have announced that the 2021 fire season will officially begin this Friday.
A joint press release said all private, county, state and Bureau of Indian Affairs lands within the Douglas District, as well as public lands within the Umpqua National Forest and the Roseburg District BLM are included in the declaration. It imposes certain fire restrictions on the public and industrial operators to help prevent wildfires.
Along with the declaration of fire season, the DFPA will implement Public Use Restrictions Friday, and the BLM Roseburg District will issue a Fire Prevention Order for BLM-administered lands. Public use restrictions will be assessed later for the Umpqua National Forest. The release said these restrictions are put in place to ensure fire prone activities do not start wildfires.
These fire prevention measures will be in effect:
*Smoking is prohibited while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water, and at other designated locations
*Backyard debris burning, including the use of burn barrels, is prohibited
*Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, cooking fires, and warming fires, except at designated locations
*Charcoal and pellet BBQs are only allowed at fully developed and maintained residential home sites when used in areas that are free of flammable vegetation. This restriction is waived on private lands during low fire danger or when vehicles are used for the culture and harvest of agricultural crops
Other restrictions are based on the official fire danger for the Douglas District which can be found at: www.dfpa.net, or by calling DFPA’s 24-hour information line at 672-0379.
On Friday, the entire Douglas District and the Umpqua National Forest will go to Industrial Fire Precaution Level 1. That means smoking is prohibited while working on, or traveling through an industrial operation. In addition, specified fire tools and suppression equipment must be on site and ready for use at industrial operations and a fire watch is required once work has been completed for the day.
DFPA District Manager Pat Skrip talked about fire season and what may lie ahead this summer on Inside Douglas County Tuesday on News Radio 1240 KQEN. That interview is a KQEN Podcast at www.541radio.com.