A cooler stretch of weather is opening the full workday to industrial operations on Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, September 28, the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will drop from Level 2 to Level 1, ending the limited shutdown periods imposed under the higher level.
The change applies across 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forestland protected by ODF’s Southwest Oregon District. Industrial operators may work throughout the day, although a fire watch remains required unless ODF specifically waives it.
For residents, the approach of October brings no change to the public fire rules. Fire danger remains moderate, designated blue, and fire season is still in effect in both counties. The daily 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. limits on equipment that can throw sparks remain in place, as do prohibitions on outdoor debris burning and most open fires.
Those rules affect work around homes and properties as well as activity on forestland. Chainsaws and equipment fitted with string or metal blades cannot be used during the restricted afternoon hours. Outside that period, operators must keep a shovel and a fire extinguisher of at least eight ounces at the work site. A fire watch must continue for one hour after the equipment is shut down.
Metal cutting, grinding and welding are also prohibited between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. At other times, the work must take place in a cleared area with either a charged garden hose or a fire extinguisher of at least 2½ pounds available. The same afternoon hours prohibit mowing dead or dried grass with power-driven equipment. Mowing green lawns is permitted, and the restriction does not apply to equipment used for the commercial cultivation and harvest of agricultural crops.
Other spark-emitting internal combustion engines not specifically covered by the rules are barred during the afternoon restriction period. Outside those hours, they may be used only in a cleared work area with a charged garden hose or a fire extinguisher of at least 2½ pounds at the site.
Residents planning a fire outdoors face a separate set of restrictions. Campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires and warming fires are prohibited except at designated campgrounds. Portable cooking stoves and firepits using liquefied or bottled fuel remain allowed in areas cleared of flammable vegetation. Burning debris in piles or burn barrels remains prohibited.
Travel off paved routes is also limited. Motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and other motorized vehicles may be operated only on improved roads free of flammable vegetation. Travelers must carry a shovel and one gallon of water, or a fire extinguisher of at least 2½ pounds. Motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles must be equipped with a fire extinguisher of at least 2½ pounds.
Fireworks are prohibited on or within one-eighth of a mile of ODF-protected land and throughout BLM land. Exploding targets, tracer ammunition and bullets with a pyrotechnic charge in their base remain prohibited. Smoking while traveling is allowed only inside an enclosed vehicle on an improved road, aboard a boat on the water or at another specifically designated location.
Electric fence controllers must be approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or certified by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. They must be installed and operated according to the controller’s instructions for fire-safe use.
The lower industrial precaution level reflects cooler conditions, but ODF says vegetation remains dry enough to carry fire. The district will continue monitoring conditions and may change restrictions as fire conditions change.
Residents can check current fire-season restrictions through ODF’s Medford Unit at 541-664-3328 or Grants Pass Unit at 541-474-3152. Information is also available through ODF Southwest on Facebook and at swofire.com.