Officials with the Deschutes National Forest have lifted restrictions on public use of fire effective today.
“With this change, all public use restrictions will have been lifted" on the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests, including the Crooked River National Grassland and the Prineville District, Bureau of Land Management, according to a statement from the BLM.
That means requirements that limit campfires to designated campgrounds, for example, are lifted, said Deschutes National Forest spokeswoman Jean Nelson-Dean.
“There are no restrictions in place in terms of fire," she said.
However, the closure zone imposed during the Pole Creek Fire in the Deschutes National Forest remains in place, Nelson-Dean said. The fire continues to burn and in burned-over areas rehabilitation work is underway.
“We’re anticipating we’ll be lifting those soon, as well, she said.
Also effective today, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will drop to a Level I on the same lands. Industrial Fire Precaution Levels govern permitted commercial and industrial operations on public lands such as woodcutting, off-road travel, road maintenance, welding, and timber cutting operations including felling, cable yarding and loading. Standard fire precaution requirements remain in effect, including a fire watch unless waived.
Restrictions are dropping across the state, but some may remain in place. People traveling to work or recreate in other parts of the state should remember to call before they travel to find out what restrictions are in place before having a campfire or cutting firewood.
