Public use restrictions to be lifted on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Release Date: Oct 5, 2018
Contact(s): Travis Mason-Bushman
Release Date: October 5, 2018
Contact: Travis Mason-Bushman, (541) 523-1208
BAKER CITY, Ore. – As cooler weather and moisture move into Eastern Oregon, fire danger has correspondingly reduced. Effective 12:01 am on October 6, 2018, public use restrictions pertaining to recreational chainsaw use, smoking, and off-road travel will be lifted on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. However, visitors are urged to continue to be cautious and prudent when working or recreating in the woods.
Seasonal campfire restrictions will continue until October 31, 2018; however these campfire restrictions do not apply to designated Wilderness areas and specified exempted developed recreation sites (see forest websites for exempted sites or areas.)
Seasonal campfire restrictions include:
· Campfires allowed only in fire pits surrounded by dirt, rock, or commercial rings and in areas not conducive to rapid fire spread, at a minimum clear of flammable material within a radius of 3 feet from the edge of the pit and free of overhanging material. Use existing pits wherever possible. The use of charcoal briquettes is permitted within the clearing requirements.
· Persons with campfires are required to have a shovel and one gallon of water in their possession (except in specified developed recreation sites listed in the Forest Order).
· Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled gas and wood burning stoves equipped with a chimney that is at least five (5) feet in length with a spark-arresting screen consisting of ¼ inch mesh hardware cloth are allowed.
As a reminder, there are also site-specific year-round public use regulations still in effect (see the Forest websites for further information).
Forest visitors are urged to use caution when building and tending campfires, cooking fires, and fires in wood stoves. Despite the less-favorable weather conditions, fire can still be a threat in the fall.
Please make sure all campfires are dead-out before leaving a site.
Please visit the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch webpage at www.bmidc.org or the Blue Mountain Fire Information Blog at www.bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com for the most recent information on fire restrictions across Forest Service, BLM and Oregon Dept. of Forestry lands.
For more information about wildfire safety and seasonal restrictions, contact the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Supervisor’s Office: (541) 523-6391.