Fire Officials Urge Caution with Fire in Area Wildlands

Labor Day weekend campouts, fall hunting and firewood cutting outings will bring visitors to northeast California wildlands over the coming weeks, and fire officials are urging everyone to be careful with fire.

“Even though we’ve had a quiet fire season so far, people should not be complacent about fire safety,” said Jim Hedges, a manager at the Susanville Interagency Fire Center. “Wildland conditions are continuing to dry out and we have very high fire dangers in many areas.  The recent Annie Fire near Cedarville burned over 2,500 acres in a day, showing that we now have the potential for large fires.”

Officials said outdoor visitors should always follow basic fire safety tips:
• Drive only on established roads and trails.  Keep vehicles away from tall grass and brush that could be ignited by hot exhaust systems.
• Keep campfires small.  Be sure they are cold to the touch before leaving camp.  Douse the fire with water, stir the ashes and douse again.
• Chainsaws and other small gas engines must be equipped with spark arrestors.
• Wood cutters should always have a shovel and fire extinguisher handy, and operate chainsaws in the cooler part  of the day.
• Smokers should light up only in areas clear of flammable debris. Cigarette butts should never be tossed from vehicle windows.

Information on current fire dangers is available from any office of the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, CAL FIRE and local fire departments.