LA GRANDE — Fire managers have increased public use restrictions to extreme, and tightened restrictions for industrial forest operations on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in Northeast Oregon.

The additional restrictions went into effect July 16.

The changes apply to private, state, county, municipal and tribal lands in seven counties: Union, Wallowa, Baker, Umatilla, and small portions of Malheur, Grant, and Morrow.

The restrictions, announced in a press release Tuesday, July 16, aim to prevent fires caused by logging and forest operations.

“It’s crucial to adhere to these restrictions as fuel conditions are changing rapidly with the extreme heat,” La Grande Unit Forester Logan McCrae said. “We are seeing critically dry conditions in our light and flashy fuels.”

The restrictions include:

• Except at landings, the use of mechanized harvesters with a high-speed saw, chainsaws, tracked felling or skidding equipment, slash busting equipment and cable yarding systems is prohibited between the hours of noon and 8 p.m.

• Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires, and warming fires. Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed. Propane fire pits are allowed if they are self-contained and 3 feet away from any flammable fuels with a maximum flame height of 2 feet.

• Nonindustrial chain saw use is prohibited. However, electric chain saws are always allowed.

• Mowing of dried and cured grass with power driven equipment is prohibited, except for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops. Electric string trimmers are always allowed.

• Electric fence controllers are required to be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or certified by the Department of Consumer and Business Services. The equipment must be operated in compliance with manufacturer’s instructions.

• Possession of the following firefighting equipment is required for any vehicle traveling on unimproved roadways where flammable vegetation exists on the roadway; shovel or other firefighting tool, minimum of 1-gallon of water, or 2½ pound or larger fire extinguisher.

Prohibited activities or items include:

• All open debris burning including the use of burn barrels.

• Use of fireworks.

• Use of exploding targets.

• Cutting, grinding and welding of metal.

• Use of tracer ammunition or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base.

• Smoking while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water or at a cleared area free of flammable vegetation.

• Use of sky lanterns throughout the year in Oregon.

For more information, contact the Oregon Department of Forestry at these local offices:

• La Grande Unit (541) 963-3168.

• Baker City Sub-Unit (541) 523-5831.

• Wallowa Unit (541) 886-2881.

• Pendleton Unit (541) 276-3491.

Current fire restrictions for forestlands in Northeast Oregon can be found at www.bmidc.org or call the Northeast Oregon Fire Prevention line 541-975-3027. To report a fire, call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at 541-963-7171 or dial 911.