BLM Mother Lode Field Office initiates seasonal fire restrictions
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EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office is initiating fire restrictions on BLM-managed public lands in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Merced, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne and Yuba counties, effective June 14, due to wildland fire danger.
The National Interagency Fire Center predicts the likelihood for large wildland fires will be above normal this summer. An unusually wet winter has produced an abundant grass crop, which has already cured or dried out. These heavy fuel loads have a high potential for creating extreme wildland fire behavior.
In the last decade, nearly 90 percent of wildland fires have been human caused. Individuals who spark wildfires, intentionally or unintentionally, may be held responsible for fire suppression and repair costs. The public is advised to be extremely careful when recreating outdoors, carry a shovel and water at all times, and check weather forecasts and fire danger ratings before leaving home. The following restrictions will remain in place until further notice:
• No tools powered by internal combustion engines off established roads or trails (such as chainsaws or lawn mowers).
• No motorized vehicles off established roads or trails.
• No target shooting – hot bullet fragments, exploding targets and metal from recreational shooting can spark a wildfire. Use of firearms for hunting is still allowed. Hunters must abide by State of California laws and regulations. Visit www.wheretoshoot.org for alternative recreational target shooting locations.
• No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or at a developed recreation site, or other designated areas.
• No fireworks, including “safe and sane” fireworks.
• No welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame.
• No explosives.
• No campfires, barbecues or open fires, except in a developed campground. Portable stoves with gas, jelled petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel are authorized with a valid California campfire permit available free at all BLM, Forest Service and CAL FIRE offices or at www.preventwildfireca.org/Permits.
The BLM is committed to keeping public landscapes healthy and productive. Wildland fire crews have been using prescribed fire and pile burns this spring to reduce noxious weeds and available fuel loads, increase protection of the Wildland-Urban Interface and improve forest health in the Inimim Forest, Lily Gap and Cronan Ranch. One less spark means one less wildland fire. Learn how you can help prevent wildland fire at http://www.readyforwildfire.org/. A listing of fire restrictions throughout BLM California is available at https://go.usa.gov/xmUEG. For specific questions, please call the Mother Lode Field Office at 916-941-3101.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.