Fire danger level raised in areas of Lane, Linn, Douglas counties
With extra dry conditions forecast for the Independence Day holiday, celebrations should be treated with an extra level of caution when it comes to wildfire prevention.
The Oregon Department of Forestry is raising fire danger levels to high, or yellow, for the Western Lane and South Cascades districts. The change affects land in Lane, Linn and parts of Douglas County — including 1.9 million acres of state, private, county and Bureau of Land Management lands.
As high temperatures and winds increase across the state, meteorologists are predicting heat in the high 90s and a possibility of double digits over the holiday. Throwing fireworks in the mix, officials are issuing reminders of how quickly sparks can catch.
Eugene's fireworks ban: What you need to know
Setting off fireworks is illegal in state and federal forests. The department also encourages checking local restrictions, which can often be found on city websites.
“We definitely want Oregonians to enjoy their holiday, but again, just be responsible,” Oregon Department of Forestry spokeswoman Jessica Prakke said. “The less that our firefighters have to respond to human-caused fires, the less our resources are strained as we move further into fire season.”
With no thunderstorms on the horizon, “human-caused” fires are the main focus over the next few days.
Those traveling over the holiday should be cautious about the dry conditions, too. Avoid parking over dried grass and be aware of anything on a car that could drag and spark.
“We still have a long way ahead of us,” Prakke said. “So let's make sure we're not burning out too quickly.”
What restrictions are in place now?
The move from mododerate to high fire danger triggers some additional restrictions on power-driven equipment like chainsaws, mowers and weed eaters. Those and any other equipment that creates sparks are prohibited between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Other wildfire prevention restrictions in place now include:
No fireworks on or within 1/8th of a mile of Oregon Department of Forestry-protected land.
Burning of debris, which includes piles and in burn barrels, is prohibited.
Exploding targets and tracer ammunition, or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base, is also not allowed.
Campfires are allowed only in designated locations.
Portable stoves that use liquefied or bottled fuels can only be used in areas that don’t have dry vegetation.
Including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, motorized vehicles are allowed only on improved roads.
Smoking while traveling is allowed only in enclosed vehicles on improved roads, boats on the water and other designated locations.
A full list of restrictions can be found on the Oregon Department of Forestry webpage.
Abigail Landwehr is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at alandwehr@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Wildfire danger levels raised for some western Oregon areas
