SW Oregon - Concurrent with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s declaration of the start of fire season and regulated use closures going into effect, officials with the Bureau of Land Management Medford District and the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest are moving to Stage 1 campfire restrictions on those lands located within the boundaries of the Wild section of the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River. The Wild section flows from Grave Creek to the mouth of Watson Creek.
Effective 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, building, maintaining, attending, or use of a fire is permitted only within a raised fire pan or similar device that will contain the fire and its residue, in an area that is free of natural vegetation, and below the high water mark. All ashes must be carried out. As a preventative measure, groups traveling on the river must have a shovel and bucket.
Additionally, smoking is only permitted while on watercraft on waterways, or on vegetation-free sand and gravel bars located between the river and the high-water mark.
The BLM administers the stretch of the river between Grave Creek and Marial, which is protected from fire by ODF Southwest. The Forest Service manages from Marial and downriver to the mouth of Watson Creek. The RRSNF website has more information and the full Order at: https://go.usa.gov/xHAsyo.
Additional fire restrictions will be put in place as fire season progresses, and will remain in effect through Nov. 30, 2021, unless conditions allow them to be rescinded sooner.
The Industrial Fire Precaution Level for the RRSNF is currently IFPL 1, which states that fire precaution requirements are in effect. A fire watch/security is required at this and all higher levels unless otherwise waived.
Interested in more information regarding fire safety notifications and regulations on public lands in southwest Oregon? Helpful sites include:
* The RRSNF Alerts and Notices page ;
* The BLM OR/WA Fire Restrictions Page ;
* Follow the BLM, RRSNF and ODF on Facebook; and
* The SW Oregon ODF blog.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
