Published by Kristin Babbs
06.20.2017
Fire Season Begins June 19th on DFPA Protected Land
The Douglas Forest Protective Association will officially go into fire season Monday, June 19th at 12:01 a.m. on all 1.6 million acres of private, county, state, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Affairs lands that are protected by DFPA.
With the start of fire season, the use of exploding targets and tracer ammunition is prohibited on, or within one-eighth mile of DFPA protected land.
The start of fire season also means the end of unregulated outside debris burning for rural Douglas County residents. DFPA will be issuing burn permits for handmade debris piles until July 1st, as fire conditions allow. Burn permits from DFPA are free of charge but do require an onsite inspection from a Forest Officer prior to approval. During the onsite inspection, Forest Officers will make sure that the debris pile is in a safe location, that an adequate water source and fire tools are at the burn site and that the pile is surrounded by a fire trail that is scraped down to mineral soil. Burn permits will not be issued for burn barrels. To schedule an onsite inspection for a burn permit, call DFPA at 541-672-6507.
The implementation of fire season also means the start of industrial fire regulations. On Monday, the entire Douglas District will go into Industrial Fire Precaution Level I (one.) During IFPL I, smoking is prohibited while working on, or traveling through an industrial operation. In addition, fire tools and suppression equipment must be on site and ready for use in operations. A fire watch service is also required once work has completed for the day.
As fire season progresses, additional public and industrial restrictions may be imposed as fire conditions become more severe.
To date, 14 fires burning 65 acres have been suppressed on DFPA protected land, the largest of which was the 54 acre Honey Creek Fire, located 9 miles northeast of Glide.
Contact:
Kyle Reed
Douglas Forest Protective Association
1758 NE Airport Road, Roseburg, Oregon, 97479
541-672-6507