Malheur National Forest raises fire danger levels, imposes restrictions in some areas

Published 8:00 pm Friday, July 22, 2022

JOHN DAY — The Malheur National Forest has raised fire danger levels and has begun imposing public use restrictions in some areas.

Effective Friday, July 22, the agency has raised the fire danger level from moderate to high in the north zone of the forest (the Blue Mountain and Prairie City ranger districts) but has not yet put any public use restrictions into effect.

In the forest’s south zone (the Emigrant Creek Ranger District), where the fire danger was already at high, campfires, charcoal fires and stove fires are now banned except in the following campgrounds: Buck Spring, Delintment, Emigrant, Falls, Idlewild, Joaquin Miller, Rock Springs, Tip Top and Yellowjacket.

Other restrictions in the south zone include:

• No smoking except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is cleared of all flammable material.

• No chain saw use between 1 and 8 p.m. Operators must have a shovel and a fire extinguisher, and a one-hour fire watch is required after saw operations cease.

• No use of internal or external combustion engines without a spark arrestor.

• No use of a vehicle off Forest Service roads except when parking in a cleared area within 10 feet of the roadway.

• Generators allowed only in cleared areas at least 10 feet in diameter with approved spark arrestor.

Industrial fire precautions are also being put in place.

Industrial Fire Precaution Level II is in force effective Friday, July 22, in the south zone of the forest and Monday, July 25, in the north zone.

Under Level II rules, many activities related to logging and other industrial operations are banned between 1 and 8 p.m.