June 22, 2022 10:30 a.m.
The Douglas Forest Protective Association, the Umpqua National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Roseburg District have announced that the 2022 fire season will officially begin on Friday.
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 Roseburg District BLM are included in the fire season declaration, which imposes certain fire restrictions on the public and industrial operators to help prevent wildfires.
In addition, the DPFA will implement Public Use Fire 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. These fire prevention restrictions are put in place to ensure fire prone activities do not start wildfires.
The release said 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 sites
*Charcoal and pellet barbecues are only allowed at fully developed and maintained residential home sites when used in areas that are free of flammable vegetation. A charged garden hose or a 2.5 pound or larger fire extinguisher must be immediately available. Portable cooking stoves using liquified or bottled fuels are allowed elsewhere
*The use of fireworks, exploding targets and tracer ammunition is prohibited. In addition, the use of sky lanterns is prohibited year-round in Oregon
*Motor vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, are only allowed on improved roads that are free of flammable vegetation. In addition, each vehicle with three or more wheels traveling on forest roads must have an axe, a shovel and one gallon of water or one operational 2.5 pound or larger fire extinguisher
Additional fire restrictions or closures may be in place through private industrial landowners or other public land management agencies on they lands they own and manage.
Complete information on fire restrictions is at: www.dfpa.net/public-fire-restrictions