Malheur National Forest raises fire danger level, increases restrictions on Emigrant Creek Ranger District

Published 6:30 pm Wednesday, August 3, 2022

HINES — With excessive heat accelerating the drying of fine fuels, the Malheur National Forest is raising the fire danger level to extreme and imposing additional restrictions on the Emigrant Creek Ranger District in the forest’s southern zone, the agency announced.

Effective Friday, Aug. 5, the Emigrant Creek Ranger District will be under Phase C public use restrictions due to extreme fire danger. The industrial fire precaution level will increase to IFPL 3, or partial shutdown.

The Blue Mountain and Prairie City ranger districts, in the forest’s northern zone, will not have any changes for now, remaining in high fire danger, Phase B public use restrictions and industrial fire precaution level 2.

With Phase C public use restrictions in effect, all campfires, charcoal fires and stove fires will be prohibited in the Emigrant Creek Ranger District.

Other Phase C restrictions include:

• No smoking except in an enclosed vehicle or building.

• No chain saw use.

• No generator use except with approved spark arrestors in a cleared area 10 feet in diameter.

• No operation of internal combustion engines except with approved spark arrestors.

• No vehicles off National Forest System roads unless parked in a cleared area within 10 feet of the roadway.

Under Level 3 industrial fire precaution rules, cable yarding is not allowed except for gravity-operated systems operating between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. with all block and moving lines suspended 10 feet above the ground. Power saws may only be used at loading sites and on tractor/skidder operations between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.