July 15, 2022 10:00 a.m.

The fire danger on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District will increase to high, and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will increase to Level 2 on Monday.

An ODF release said this affects 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, and Bureau of Land Management lands in Jackson and Josephine counties.

Public Information Officer Natalie Weber said the primary difference between current fire prevention restrictions and those starting Monday 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 metals, and other spark-emitting equipment, such as wood splitters and generators, will be prohibited between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Weber said this does not apply to mowing green lawns.

Under IFPL 2, the following may operate after 8:00 p.m. and up to 1:00 p.m. daily:

*Power saws, except at loading sites

*Feller-bunchers with rotary head saws

*Cable Yarding

*Blasting

*Welding, cutting, or grinding of metal

For more information about ODF’s fire season public restrictions: go to www.swofire.com