|
News
Release
Susanville Interagency Fire Center
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection! Lassen National Forest
Bureau of Land Management! Lassen Volcanic National Park
For Release: September 20,
2004 CA-N-04-104
Contact: Jeff Fontana, BLM, (530) 252-5332; Leona Rodreick, Lassen National
Forest, (530) 252-6605
BLM AND LASSEN
NATIONAL FOREST LIFT FIRE RESTRICTIONS
The Lassen National Forest and the
Bureau of Land Management will lift fire restrictions beginning midnight, Tuesday,
September 21, in northeastern California and extreme northwest Nevada.
The recent cooler weather, rain, and snow in higher elevations have encouraged
officials to evaluate the current situation and lift all fire restrictions.
Lifting of restrictions means that campfires can again be used outside of developed
campgrounds and recreation sites (permits are required), and that chainsaws
can again be used on National Forest lands.
"We crunched the numbers from our current data for weather, live and dead
fuel moistures today and the numbers indicated that we could lift restrictions,"
commented Tom Cable, fire management officer for the Lassen National Forest.
"However, this does not mean that the fire danger does not exist. We are
still in fire season and conditions are dry. We still have the potential for
large fires."
Fire officials remind wildland visitors to keep campfires small and be sure
they are dead out and cold to the touch before leaving camp. Drivers must keep
vehicles away from tall grass and brush, which could be ignited by hot exhaust
systems. Woodcutting will be allowed on federal lands. Woodcutters need to have
woodcutting permits, and chainsaws must be equipped with spark arresters.
Fire restrictions remain in effect on some neighboring BLM-managed public lands
and National Forests. Visitors should check with a BLM or Forest Service office
if they plan to use public lands outside of the northeast California region.
For more information on fire restrictions in northeast California and northwest
Nevada, contact BLM offices in Susanville (257-5381), Alturas (233-4666) or
Cedarville (279-6101) or the Lassen National Forest (257-2151).
-SIFC-
-BLM-
|