Campfire Restrictions Increase to Stage 2 on Wild Portion of Lower Rogue River Beginning June 29
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Joint News Release
Bureau of Land Management, Medford District
U.S. Forest Service, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Oregon Department of Forestry, Southwest Oregon District
SW Oregon – As the weather continues to trend towards extreme warming and increasing drought conditions, officials with the Bureau of Land Management Medford District, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District are prohibiting campfire use on those lands located within the boundaries of the Wild section of the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River. The Wild section flows from Grave Creek to the mouth of Watson Creek.
Effective 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, Stage 2 Fire restrictions include:
- Campfires, including stove fires and warming fires are prohibited. Portable cooking stoves using commercially produced pressurized liquid or gas may be used. Cooking areas must be naturally free of vegetation.
- Charcoal briquettes can be used within a raised fire pan or similar device that will contain fire and ashes only on areas free of vegetation that lie between water and high water mark. Ashes must be hauled out.
- As a preventative measure, travelers are required to carry one shovel and a bucket.
- Smoking will be prohibited, except in boats on the water and on sand and gravel bars between the river and the high water mark that are free of vegetation.
The BLM administers the stretch of the river between Grave Creek and Marial, which is protected from fire by ODF Southwest. The Forest Service manages from Marial and downriver to the mouth of Watson Creek.
Additional fire restrictions may be put in place as fire season progresses. Interested in more information regarding fire safety notifications and regulations on public lands in southwest Oregon? Helpful sites include:
- The RRSNF Alerts and Notices page;
- The BLM OR/WA Fire Restrictions Page;
- Region 6 Interactive Fire Closure Map;
- Follow the BLM, RRSNF and ODF on Facebook; and
- The SW Oregon ODF blog.
Those visiting public lands throughout the area are encouraged to be extremely vigilant due to widespread drought conditions and record-setting high temperatures. Don’t be the one spark that starts a wildfire!
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.