Due to the increased risk of wildfires, Gifford Pinchot National Forest fire managers have issued restrictions on campfires, smoking and other activities within the forest. These restrictions went into effect on July 10 just after midnight.
“We are seeing dry conditions, earlier in the year, across the forest,” said Dirk Shupe, fire management staff officer for the Gifford Pinchot and Mount Hood National Forests. “With an anticipated dry, warm summer ahead, we are putting restrictions in place to limit unnecessary risks caused by abandoned or escaped campfires. We ask that everyone do their part to prevent human-caused wildfires by respecting all fire related restrictions.”
Restrictions include:
Fire restrictions currently do not apply to portable cooking stoves, lanterns and heating devices using liquefied or bottled fuel, such as propane because they can be instantly switched off.
Recreationalists are still permitted to build, maintain or use campfires or charcoal fires in the following developed campgrounds:
Likewise, campfires and charcoal fires are still allowed in the following Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument locations, at the Kalama Horse Camp and Sunset Falls Campground. In the Mount Adams Ranger District, the same exemptions apply for:
Where permitted, campfires should be fully extinguished and cool to the touch before being left behind. Visitors are asked to use the metal campfire rings in the campgrounds and keep a shovel and bucket of water close by.
On average, nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans each year. Smokey Bear’s message of preventing unwanted human-caused ignitions is more relevant today than ever before as more people live closer to wildlands and recreate outdoors, stated a news release from the Forest Service.
For Gifford Pinchot National Forest fire information visit: www.fs.usda.gov/main/giffordpinchot/fire.
For more information about the local and regional fire outlook visit: https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/predict/outlook.aspx.