Fire Season Begins Friday in Klamath and Lake Counties
ODF and South Central Oregon fire agencies are moving into coordinated fire season operations as low snowpack, dry spring conditions, and warmer temperatures increase wildfire concerns.
LAKEVIEW, Ore. — Fire season will officially begin Friday, May 22, for Klamath and Lake counties, according to the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership.
The Oregon Department of Forestry Klamath-Lake District will declare fire season beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The declaration applies to private, county, and state wildlands protected by ODF.
The declaration comes as the region faces low snowpack, minimal spring precipitation, and prolonged above-average temperatures, according to the release.
In support of ODF’s declaration, agencies within the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership will begin coordinated fire season operations at the same time. Participating agencies include the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Bureau of Land Management Lakeview District, Sheldon-Hart Mountain and Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complexes, and Crater Lake National Park.
Fire danger will begin at Moderate, and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will be IFPL I.
Under Moderate fire danger, fires can start from most accidental causes, while open cured grasslands may burn briskly and spread rapidly on windy days. Timber fires may spread slowly to moderately fast.
With fire season in effect, debris burning is prohibited without a permit. Wildland and structural fire protection agencies in Klamath County have also agreed to prohibit all outdoor debris burning.
Fire season restrictions also prohibit several activities, including smoking while working in or traveling through an operation area, use of fuse and caps for blasting without forester approval, discharge of exploding targets inside the district or within one-eighth mile of the district, and discharge of tracer ammunition within the district or within one-eighth mile of the district.
IFPL I requirements also apply. Fire extinguishers must be in all vehicles, and chainsaws must have a shovel and fire extinguisher on site. Chainsaws must also have a .023-inch mesh screen installed in the exhaust, and approved spark arresters are required on all internal combustion engines.
The release also notes that all lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management within a half mile of the Klamath River from the Keno Dam downstream to the Oregon-California border fall under a fire prevention order, effective May 22.
Officials are urging residents and visitors to use extra caution as recreation activity increases heading into the holiday period.
“Human-caused wildfires are preventable, and we ask the public to do their part in helping reduce wildfire risk,” the release said.
More information about current fire restrictions is available through the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership.
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