LAKEVIEW, Ore. – With the upcoming warming trend this weekend and the current conditions, fire officials in Klamath and Lake counties for the South-Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership will officially declare fire season beginning Friday, Jun. 7, 2024, at 12:01 A.M. This declaration includes all private, county, and state wildlands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Klamath-Lake District and Walker Range Forest Protection Association. It also applies to the Fremont-Winema National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District, the Sheldon-Hart Mountain and Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complexes, and Crater Lake National Park.
The fire danger level will be MODERATE, and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will be I.
Moderate Fire Danger means:
- Fires can start from most accidental causes, but the number of fire starts is generally low.
- Fires in open cured grasslands will burn briskly and spread rapidly on windy days.
- Timber fires spread slowly to moderately fast.
IFPL I: Closed Season – Fire precaution requirements are in effect. Unless otherwise waived, a Fire Watch is required at this and all higher levels.
- Fire extinguisher and shovel must be with each chainsaw.
- Fire extinguishers must be in all vehicles.
- Chainsaws must have a .023-inch mesh screen installed in the exhaust.
- Approved spark arrestors must be on all internal combustion engines.
- Watchmen service must be provided for 1 hour after the shutdown of power equipment for the day unless otherwise specified.
- No smoking is permitted while working or traveling through any operations area on public land except while in enclosed vehicles.
- Permits to burn are required unless waived in advance.
For the Oregon Department of Forestry, the “Fire Season in effect” declaration puts regulations restricting debris burning and timber harvest operations into place. Wildland and structural fire protection agencies in Klamath County have agreed to prohibit all outdoor debris burning. Forest operations that require a Permit to Operate Power Driven Machinery must have fire tools, an on-site water supply, and a watch service on privately owned forest land. Declaring “Fire Season” also prohibits:
- Smoking while working in or traveling through any operation area.
- The use of fuse and caps for blasting unless the forester grants approval.
- The discharge of an exploding target inside or within one-eighth mile of the district.
- The discharge of tracer ammunition on land within the district or within one-eighth mile of the district, or when discharged, crosses above land within the district or within one-eighth mile of the district.
In conjunction with the declaration of the 2024 fire season, all lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management within half a mile of the Klamath River from the Keno Dam downstream to the Oregon/California border fall under this fire prevention order.
“Anyone who is found guilty of violating a fire prevention order may be subject to prosecution under any applicable law or BLM regulation. A violation of this order may be classified as a Class A Misdemeanor Offense under 43 USC 1733(a) FLPMA, 18 USC 3559, and 18 USC 3571 Sentence of Fine – Sentencing Reform Act, Oct. 12, 1984. If the violation does not result in death, anyone who violates this order may be fined not more than $100,000 and/or imprisoned for not more than 12 months or may be fined in accordance with the applicable provisions of 18 USC 3571. Restitution for total fire suppression and damage costs incurred will be borne by the responsible party.”
Whether accidental or intentional, people start wildfires every year in south central Oregon. These wildfires cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to suppress and endanger lives and natural resources. Let us all do our part to protect these places we live by being diligent with our ignitions and leaving all fireworks at home.
For more information and current fire restrictions, visit https://www.scofmp.org/
