[Klamath County Fire Defense Board] Fw: News Release for Review - Changes to Fire Danger and Restrictions
- From: "BALEY Randy * ODF" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ("Randy.BALEY")
- To: "klamathcountyfdb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <klamathcountyfdb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2021 14:02:26 +0000
Moderate Adjective Class and Regulated Use Closure dropped.
Thanks
________________________________
From: Schmidt, Tamara -FS <tamara.schmidt@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, October 9, 2021 4:49 PM
To: BALEY Randy * ODF <Randy.BALEY@xxxxxxxxxx>; WILLIAMS Teresa L * ODF
<Teresa.L.Williams@xxxxxxxxxx>; GUSTAVESON Dustin * ODF
<Dustin.GUSTAVESON@xxxxxxxxxx>; Koons, Jebediah - FS, LAKEVIEW, OR
<Jebediah.Koons@xxxxxxxx>; Neider, Kenneth -FS <kenneth.neider@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: CASE Jennifer M * ODF <Jennifer.M.Case@xxxxxxxxxx>; Duncan, David -FS
<david.n.duncan@xxxxxxxx>; McNee, Lisa L <lmcnee@xxxxxxx>
Subject: News Release for Review - Changes to Fire Danger and Restrictions
Hello. Attached and following for review and approval is the draft news
release regarding lifting the Regulated Use Closure, reducing the fire danger,
lowering the IFPL and reminding of the restrictions still in place. My
understanding is BLM keeps the Klamath River Canyon PURs in effect until Fire
Season is declared over.
Looking for approval primarily from Randall and Coley.
As discussed Friday afternoon, if we can get approval by 2 p.m. tomorrow
(Sunday) we can get it distributed and out to meet the media deadlines for
Sunday night and Monday morning.
Apologies that this is later than planned – having some computer issues and
wanted to take an extra bit of time to make sure we got everything in there.
Please let me know if there are any questions, thoughts, edits or if it is good
to go out.
Thanks!
- Tamara
[Forest Service Shield]
Tamara Schmidt
Public Affairs Officer
Forest Service
Fremont-Winema National Forest
p: 541-947-6243<tel:541-947-6243>
c: 541-891-6758<tel:541-891-6758>
tamara.schmidt@xxxxxxxx<mailto:tamara.schmidt@xxxxxxxx>
1301 South G St.
Lakeview, OR 97630
www.fs.fed.us<https://www.fs.fed.us/>
[USDA Logo]<https://usda.gov/>[Forest Service
Twitter]<https://twitter.com/forestservice>[USDA
Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Forest-Service/1431984283714112>
Caring for the land and serving people
[cid:image006.png@01D7BD2D.8A1997B0]
[Oregon Department of Forestry www.oregon.gov/odf BLM Lakeview District
www.blm.gov/office/lakeview-district-office Fremont-Winema National Forest
www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema Sheldon-Hart Mountain & Klamath Basin National
Wildlife Refuge Complexes www.fws.gov/refuge/Hart_Mountain
www.facebook.com/KlamathBasinRefuges/]<http://www.oregon.gov/odf>News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2021
[Media Contacts: Jennifer Case Cell: 541-891-8534 jennifer.m.case@xxxxxxxxxx
Tamara Schmidt Cell: 541-891-6758 tamara.schmidt@xxxxxxxx]
Changes to fire danger and local regulations Monday in South Central Oregon
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Cooler temperatures, increased humidity and a handful of
autumn storms are providing enough relief to allow further reduction in
restrictions and fire danger in South Central Oregon.
Effective tomorrow, Monday, October 11, the agencies of the South Central
Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) will be lowering the Fire Danger
from “High” to “Moderate”. Despite this change, fuels remain dry and caution
is needed to prevent wildfires.
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Klamath-Lake District Regulated Use
Closure (RUC), which regulates things like the use of campfires, chainsaws and
other activities that could start a wildfire, are being lifted tomorrow,
Monday, October 11.
While the RUC is being lifted, Fire Season is still in effect and regulations
are in place restricting debris burning and timber harvest operations. All
outdoor debris burning is still prohibited.
Forest operations on State and private lands that require a Permit to Operate
Power Driven Machinery are required to have fire tools, onsite water supply,
and watchman service. The release of sky lanterns, discharge of exploding
targets or the discharge of tracer ammunition is also prohibited while Fire
Season is in effect.
“The recent light moisture and cooler temperatures we received last week going
into this week is assisting us but not near enough to put us out of declared
fire season,” said Randall Baley, ODF Protection Unit Forester in Klamath
Falls. “As hunting season and other fall outdoor activities arrive, please be
fire safe and careful at all times.”
Public Use Restrictions, on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Sheldon-Hart
Mountain and Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complexes and most of the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District were lifted on October 1.
Public Use Restrictions remain in place on BLM lands in the Klamath River
Canyon.
The Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) is lowering Monday, October 11 from
Level II to Level I. This means fire precaution requirements are still in
effect, including a 1-hour fire watch following work that could spark a
wildfire. Under IFPL I, chainsaw use is permitted any time of day on federal
lands, including the Fremont-Winema National Forest and Lakeview District BLM.
Personal and commercial woodcutters are reminded of their responsibility to
stay informed of current IFPLs and all restrictions that apply to activities
conducted on public lands. Failure to comply with precautionary fire
requirements may result in the issuance of a Violation Notice.
Area residents and visitors are also reminded that the Emergency Fire Closure
Orders for the Bootleg and Cougar Peak Fires are still in effect on the
Fremont-Winema National Forest. Both orders are available at
www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema<http://www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema>.
“The SCOFMP agencies are still seeing wildfires this fall, including a small
lightning fire Friday on the Lakeview Ranger District,” said Interagency Deputy
Fire Management Officer Coley Neider. “While we are still prepared for these
fires, fuels are still very dry and can carry fire. We need the continued
efforts of the public to prevent wildfires this fall.”
Area residents and visitors can help prevent wildfires by doing the following:
* Make sure campfires are never left unattended and are dead out and cold
to the touch before leaving. Use plenty of water to drown the fire.
* If you are using a portable stove, make sure the area is clear of grasses
and other fine fuels. Prevent stoves from tipping and starting a fire.
* Ensure chainsaws and other equipment, including generators, are
maintained and have an approved spark arrester in good condition.
* Make sure off-road vehicles have a properly functioning catalytic
converter or approved spark arrester.
* Never park a vehicle over dead grass and avoid driving through tall grass
– your vehicle can ignite the fuels and start a fire.
* If towing a boat or trailer, ensure safety chains are properly secured
and not dragging.
Suspected wildfires should be reported to 911 as soon as possible. Visit
https://scofmp.org for more information on restrictions and IFPL.
###
South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership provides comprehensive
wildland fire services to more than eight million acres of land administered by
the Bureau of Land Management Lakeview District; Fremont-Winema National
Forest; Oregon Department of Forestry Klamath-Lake District; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Klamath Basin and Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife
Refuge Complexes; and Crater Lake National Park. The area encompasses federal,
state, and private lands within south central Oregon and northwest Nevada.
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use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and
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