Fire Season on
lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Southwest Oregon
District begins Saturday, June 1, at 12:01 a.m. The fire danger level will be
“Low” (green) and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will be 1 (one).
Lands affected by this declaration include state, private, county, city and
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forestlands in Jackson and Josephine counties.
The recent weather patterns are changing from
frequent rain to more sun exposure, and thunderstorm potentials have been
predicted this week. Due to the weather outlook and current conditions, Fire
Season is being declared.
Beginning Saturday, the burning of debris piles and
the use of burn barrels for burning debris will no longer be allowed in Jackson
and Josephine counties. Over the past couple of weeks, our crews have responded
to multiple debris burns that have escaped; landowners are encouraged to check
their previously burned piles from this spring and confirm that they have been
extinguished.
Other Fire Season restrictions include prohibiting the use of exploding
targets and tracer ammunition.
This year, when we enter Low Fire Danger on
Saturday, additional public use restrictions will take effect that prohibit the
use of fireworks on or within a 1/8 of a mile of forestlands or the use of
non-approved electric fence controller. Other activities such as the mowing of
dry grass or the use of motorized power equipment will be regulated using the
Fire Danger level as defined in the Regulated Use Proclamation, and allowed
anytime while the District is in Low Fire Danger level.
For more information about the Oregon Department of
Forestry’s Fire Season regulations, please call or visit the Southwest Oregon
District unit office nearest to you:
· Medford Unit, 5286 Table Rock Rd., Central Point.
(541) 664-3328
· Grants Pass Unit, 5375 Monument Dr., Grants Pass.
(541) 474-3152
Fire season information is also
available online at our Facebook page: @ODFSouthwest and our website: www.swofire.com.