Fire
Officials Urge Caution For Holiday Weekend
BEND– With the Fourth of July holiday fast approaching, firefighters and
land managers would like to remind the public to recreate safely on federal
public lands this weekend.
Continued hot
and dry conditions have contributed to an increase in human caused wildfire
activity and a HIGH fire danger rating. Visitors to the national forest are
reminded to be “Fire Safe” this holiday and throughout the summer, which includes
leaving the fireworks at home.
Fireworks and
other exploding targets are prohibited on federal public lands in Central
Oregon, including the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, the Prineville
BLM, and the Crooked River National Grassland.
“There’s an
appropriate time and place for fireworks—but that’s not on federal lands during
fire season,” said Alex Robertson, Fire Staff Officer for the Central Oregon
Fire Management Service. “Fireworks are restricted on federal lands and we ask
that people respect that. Already we are seeing abnormal fire growth in
wildfires across Central Oregon with fires growing bigger, faster. So while we
want the public to enjoy a fun and safe holiday and summer, we also will continue
to work closely with our partners at state and local levels to ensure that when
it becomes necessary, we implement precautionary measures to protect our
forests and communities.”
National
Forest System lands in Central Oregon are not under public use restrictions
right now but campers are reminded to never leave their campfire unattended and
to fully extinguish campfires with water and shovel until the coals are cool to
the touch. Fires that appear to be out may smolder for several days and
pick up again during the next wind event. The smallest spark has the potential
to cause significant damage.
Always crush
cigarettes dead out, ensure that your vehicle has a properly installed spark
arrester that is operational, and stop and park only in areas clear of
vegetation.
Discharging
fireworks on federal public lands is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and a
sentence of up to six months in jail.
-END-
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