Fire regulations tighten on local forests

Hot weather and gusty winds have dried out Sisters forests, increasing wildfire danger. Fire officials tightened fire regulations up a notch as of last Saturday on forestlands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties.

Forest landowners and visitors to these lands now are prohibited from having any open fires, including campfires, charcoal fires, and cooking fires except at designated campgrounds. Fires using stoves burning liquefied or bottled fuels are permitted.

Smoking while traveling except in vehicles on improved roads also is prohibited. Motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles may travel only on improved roads maintained for passenger cars. All motor vehicles must carry a one-gallon container of water or a two-pound or larger fire extinguisher, an axe and a shovel except when traveling on state or county roads. Fire tools also are not required while traveling on federal highways, although ODF does not regulate that travel.

Use of power saws for woodcutting and other activities is prohibited between 1 and 8 p.m. Using a power saw at other hours requires the operator to have on hand an axe, a shovel, and an eight-ounce or larger fire extinguisher.

Other power-driven operations, including mowing grass and cutting, grinding, or welding also is prohibited between 1 and 8 p.m. except for agricultural work.

Fireworks also are banned on forestlands protected by ODF.

While local ODF crews have not experienced a large number of human-caused fires this summer, these regulations are the next step in preventing wildfires starting from human activities. Several lightning storms did start wildfires recently.