Wyoming State Office
| Contacts: | Cindy Wertz | |||
| (307) 775-6014 |
Fire Restrictions Lifted
Due to cooler and wetter weather conditions across eastern Wyoming, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Casper Field Office is lifting partial fire restrictions for BLM- administered public land in Converse, Platte, and Goshen counties. Partial restrictions will be rescinded on Oct. 26, 2011.
The following acts are no longer prohibited on BLM land in Converse, Platte, and Goshen counties:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within agency-provided fire grates at developed recreation sites, or within fully enclosed stoves with a ¼” spark arrester type screen, or within fully enclosed grills, or in stoves using pressurized liquid or gas.
- Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
- Operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and working, a chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity by weight, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.
- Using a welder, either arc or gas, or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame, except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter with a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity.
The following fire restrictions are in effect year-round on BLM-administered public lands in Wyoming. These prohibitions are:
- Discharge or use of any fireworks.
- Discharge of a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition.
- Burn, ignite or cause to burn any tire, wire, magnesium, or any other hazardous or explosive material.
- Operate any off-road vehicle on public lands unless the vehicle is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester pursuant to
43 CFR 8343.1 (c).
According to BLM Fire Management Officer Jay Esperance, “Even though we have received moisture recently, this year’s abundant grass crop is now fully cured and will dry quickly if we get some warm days this fall. When hunting and recreating, please be careful with campfires, and report all wildfires immediately.”
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.
Wyoming State Office 5353 Yellowstone Cheyenne, WY 82009