FIRE SEASON BEGINS SATURDAY/SUNDAY IN JOSEPHINE/JACKSON COUNTIES – KQEN News Radio

May 31, 2024 2:50 a.m..

Fire season on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry's Southwest Oregon District begins Saturday.

Public Information Officer Natalie Weber said the fire danger level will be low and the industrial fire precaution level will be 1. Weber said the lands affected by this declaration include 1, 8 million acres of state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forest lands. Josephine and Jackson Counties.

The release said spring rains, snow and cooler weather conditions made for a relatively fire-free spring in southern Oregon until mid-March. Since then, the Southwest Oregon ODF District has responded to 14 fires, all human-caused. These fires were stopped on a total of 10 acres in total.

With the start of fire season, these activities will be prohibited:

*No burning of debris, including piles and debris burned in burn barrels.

*No fireworks on or within 1/8 mile of ODF protected lands.

*Explosive targets and tracer munitions, or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base, are prohibited.

*Campfires are permitted in designated campgrounds and on private land with permission of the owner. Portable stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels can be used at any time in areas without vegetation.

*Smoking while traveling will only be permitted in enclosed vehicles on improved roads, in boats on water and in other specifically designated locations.

Other restrictions will also be in place. For complete information on ODF's fire season regulations, visit: www.swofire.com Details are also on the agency's Facebook page and X account.