Fire Season will officially begin on Monday, July 1, 2019 at 01:00 a.m. This will affect all lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in the Northwest Oregon Forest Protection District. This area includes all State, private and BLM forest land in the Tillamook, Astoria, and Forest Grove Districts, which consists of Tillamook, Washington, Yamhill, Clatsop, Columbia, and Multnomah Counties, as well as portions of Lincoln County.
With Fire Season in effect, Forest Operators must have required fire equipment at the site of their operation, and are reminded to inspect their fire equipment to ensure it is ready and can pass inspection. Forest Operators must also provide fire watch on each operation after equipment is shut down at the end of operations each day. Fire season rules also prohibit smoking while in or traveling through any “operation area”, and prohibit the use of fuse and caps for blasting on forestland.
**Fire Weather Zones NW-1, NW-2, NW-3 will start out at Industrial Fire Precaution Level 1, effective July 1, 2019. IFPL changes and fire season information may be obtained by contacting your nearest ODF office.
When the Proclamation is prepared it will be posted on the following website:
http://www.oregon.gov/odf/pages/FIRE/precautionlevel.aspx
July 1st will also begin Public Use Restrictions in the District. Please see the attached chart for restrictions and allowed uses. The public can find out more about the Public Use rules by going to the website and map at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html
The fire level for public use restrictions will be at “low” to start. Check the above website for updates.
For the General Public, burning permits are required for open pile burning and burn barrels. Residents that live within a City Fire Department District or Rural Fire Protection District, will need to contact their local Fire Department for burn permit requirements.
In Tillamook County, the Oregon Department of Forestry issues burning permits for open pile burning and burn barrels. Effective July 15th, there is a countywide ban on open pile burning and no permits will be issued for open pile burning. Burn barrel permits may be obtained until July 31, 2019. There is no fee for the burn permit, but an on-site inspection with the landowner is performed prior to issuing a permit. Information about burning permits and how to obtain a permit is available by calling the Oregon Department of Forestry at 503-815-7056 (24 hr line), or you may contact your local fire department.
Effective August 1st, all burning will be banned for all of Tillamook County. Residents are encouraged to plan ahead and complete all burning prior to the ban.
If you live outside of Tillamook County, check with your local ODF office or local fire department to find out burning restrictions for your county.
It is also a good reminder that fire can be a hazard at anytime of year if steps are not taken to use fire safely. Whenever you use fire, whether for debris burning or enjoying a campfire, use these steps to prevent your fire from turning into the next wildfire.
- Never leave your fire unattended.
- When burning debris, always have a hose and shovel at the fire to prevent the fire from spreading.
- Check with your local fire protection agency prior to burning. (Most Rural Fire Protection Districts require a burn permit year round.)
- If camping, ensure your campfire is in a designated area.
- Always make sure your campfire is out cold before leaving.
- On the beach, keep your campfire far from beach grass and driftwood piles.
Forest users may obtain information about state forestlands, industrial fire restrictions and public fire restrictions by contacting your local ODF office or through our website, blogs and social media:
• Tillamook District office 503-842-2545
• Forest Grove District office 503-357-2191
• Columbia City Unit office 503-397-2636
• Astoria District office 503-325-5451
• www.fgdfire.com
• http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/
• http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Fire/Pages/Restrictions.aspx
• https://www.facebook.com/oregondepartmentofforestry
• https://twitter.com/ORDeptForestry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/ORDeptForestry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/ORDeptForestry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw