Firestone and Flat Top Fires Emergency Closure Order Ends
Public urged to use caution when recreating in burned area
Bend, Oregon, September 30— National Forest System lands around the Firestone and Flat Top Fires, located approximately 19 miles from La Pine, will reopen Wednesday, October 1, following the expiration of the Firestone and Flat Top Fires Emergency Closure Order.
People recreating in the recently burned areas of the Firestone and Flat Top Fires should use caution. A burned landscape presents a number of safety hazards that either did not exist prior to the fire or have been exacerbated by the effects of the fire. In some cases, these hazardous conditions may persist for several years after a fire. Be very aware of your surroundings, follow warning signs, area closures and directions from agency personnel, and pay particular attention to these potential safety hazards. Be especially wary of hazard trees after rain events or during wind.
When recreating in a burned area:
- LOOK UP for upslope burned areas, snags, and exposed rocks that may fall.
- LOOK DOWN for debris from falling rocks, erosion – especially at road and trail edges, and ash pits (which may form from root pockets or stumps of burned trees).
- LOOK AROUND. Be situationally aware. Check the weather before you travel, including at higher elevations. Wind, rain, ice and snow can increase the risk of tree fall, rock fall, slides and other hazards. Flash floods and landslide risks are elevated below severely burned areas.
For more information or questions, please contact the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District at (541)383-5300.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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