FIRE DANGER PROMPTS FIRE RESTRICTIONS IN CENTRAL OREGON
Central Oregon - Fire danger in Central Oregon has prompted fire officials to restrict certain activities on lands managed by the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Ochoco National Forest and the Crooked River National Grassland. Effective 12:01 a.m. August 21 (Tuesday), open fires, including charcoal fires, will be prohibited, except in the following designated campgrounds:
Ochoco National Forest: Barnhouse, Cottonwood Pit, Salter’s Cabin, Sugar Creek, Wolf Creek, Antelope Reservoir, Wildcat, Walton Lake, Deep Creek, Ochoco Forest Camp, and Ochoco Divide.
Prineville BLM: Castle Rock, Still Water, Lone Pine, Palisades, Chimney Rock, Cobble Rock, Post Pile, and Poison Butte.
“More than 15,000 firefighting personnel are already engaged suppressing fires around the country right now,” said Doug Johnson, Acting Fire Staff for Central Oregon Fire Management Service (the combined Forest Service and BLM fire organization in Central Oregon). “While we have resources to respond to new fires here in Central Oregon, we cannot count on other regions providing additional assistance; and with lightning expected, we need to do everything we can to limit human caused wildfires.”
In addition to campfire restrictions, smoking is restricted to an enclosed vehicle or building, in boats on lakes and rivers, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is clear of all flammable material.
Portable cooking stoves or lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel may be used in all areas.
Every year lightning-caused fires place a heavy demand on our firefighting resources, and put our wildlands, our firefighters, and our communities at risk. Fire officials want to remind people that they play a role in keeping our firefighters and our public safe. Fires caused through carelessness or negligence only increase the threat to life and livelihood, and place an even greater burden on already busy firefighters. In an active fire season, we need our firefighters available and ready to respond. Every fire that’s prevented helps firefighters remain available, rested, and safe.
About the BLM: The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land – the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. The USDA is an equal opportunity employer.