This view east across the North Powder Valley to the Wallowa Mountains is from the Van Patten Lake trail, on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in the Elkhorn Mountains. Forest officials have eased fire restrictions, and officials at the Oregon Department of Forestry are scheduled to do so on land under their control beginning Sept. 17, 2024. 

UNION COUNTY — Officials with the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest have eased fire restrictions on the forest, and the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Northwest Oregon District will do the same on its lands beginning Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest fire-prevention managers downgraded the forest’s Public Use Restriction to Phase A, effective Saturday, Sept. 14, according to a news release from the forest. This reduction on restrictions will allow campfires outside established camping sites.

Recent rain and cooler weather contributed to this decision a week before the official start of autumn, forest officials said. 

Forest officials asked people to remember fire and stove recommendations:

• A shovel and at least a gallon of water should be present at all times. Fires should be drowned and stirred — then drowned and stirred again — until cool enough to touch.

• Keep campfires and charcoal briquette fires contained in an earthen pit, metal fire ring, or rock ring, with all combustible material removed within a 5-foot radius of the perimeter of the fire ring — and clear of overhanging material.

• Portable cooking stoves and portable fireplaces should have all combustible material removed within a 5-foot radius. Wood burning stoves should be equipped with a chimney at least 5-feet in length and a spark-arresting screen consisting of ¼-inch mesh hardware cloth.

• Campfires are restricted in the Eagle Cap Wilderness to reduce impacts on lakes. Rules are printed on the back of wilderness permits. 

Separate rules apply within a quarter-mile of the Wild and Scenic portions of the Snake River. Public lands in Idaho administered by the Wallowa-Whitman follow separate Idaho fire restrictions idahofireinfo.com/p/fire-restrictions.html.

Other restrictions remain in place in the forest:

• Chain saws may be operated only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. local time. This prohibition does not apply to personal-use and commercial firewood permit holders operating under the terms of their permit.

• Except for motor vehicles, combustion engines may not be used without a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order per Forest Service standards.

• Traveling off developed forest roads and trails is not allowed, except for the purpose of going to and from a campsite located within 300 feet of the open developed road. All motorized travel on roads closed by gates, barricades, berms, rocks, or logs is prohibited.

• No smoking is allowed, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, developed recreation site or while stopped in an area that is cleared of flammable material within at least 3 feet.

State restrictions 

As of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Oregon Department of Forestry will drop down to moderate fire danger, due to moderating weather and precipitation, but fire season remains in effect for private, state, county, municipal, and tribal lands protected by the department.

The Northeast Oregon District includes lands in the following counties: Union, Baker, Umatilla, Wallowa, and small portions of Grant, Morrow, and Malheur counties.

Burn permits are required for burning debris and barrels. Contact the ODF’s La Grande unit at 541-963-3168 to ask about permits.

Campfires for recreational and/or cooking purposes are allowed. 

Possession of the following firefighting equipment is required: a shovel or other firefighting tool, a minimum of 1 gallon of water, or 2 ½ 2-pound or larger fire extinguisher, and a fire watch at least one hour after extinguishing.

Exploding targets, tracer ammunition or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base and sky lanterns always are prohibited. 

More information on fire restrictions can be found on the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center website at www.bmidc.org. For more information on fire prevention restrictions in the ODF’s Northeast Oregon District, call 541-975-3027. To report a fire, call the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center at (541)963-7171 or dial 911.

The website bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com features current information about fires in the Blue Mountains.

Manulife lands reopen for overnight camping

Manulife (formerly Hancock) properties in Northeast Oregon will reopen for overnight camping Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Fire restrictions have eased to moderate, but there are still some restrictions in effect, including no campfires allowed on Manulife lands.

Manulife lands in Northeast Oregon (including within the Shamrock, Whiskey Creek, Noregaard, Little Catherine Creek, and Meacham travel management areas) had closed in mid-July due to extreme fire danger and reopened to day use only in late August.

Hunters and others are reminded that motorized vehicles are only allowed on designated roads outside of travel management areas.

For other information on recreation on Manulife lands in Northeast Oregon, call 541-962-2184.