Prineville, Ore. – Starting this Friday (September 22) at 12:01 a.m., the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District will move down to a “Moderate” fire danger level and additional restrictions under Regulated Use Closure will be terminated for all lands protected by the district. In addition, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will change to I (one) for MH-4 in Hood River County (west of Hwy 35) and for MH-1 (east of Hwy 35 in Hood River and Wasco Counties).
While conditions have dropped to Moderate fire danger, backyard debris burning continues to be prohibited on ODF-protected lands within Central Oregon District.
Under IFPL I (one), on ODF protected lands in Hood River and Wasco counties, the use of fire or power-driven machinery in any operation area is unlawful unless such use is following fire prevention requirements.
In addition, the fire watch requirement for this level is reduced from a minimum of three hours to a minimum of one hour during breaks and at the end of the operation period.
Although there is rain in the forecast, Central Oregon District remains in fire season. As such, we encourage the public to be mindful of activities that could cause a wildfire, as conditions can vary across the district.
Additional fire restrictions or regulations may apply depending on the various fire risks. Check the full list of restrictions at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspx.
For more information on the Central Oregon District and fire season regulations, visit https://odfcentraloregon.com/. For tips on wildfire prevention, visit www.keeporegongreen.org