Press release from SCOFMP

LAKEVIEW, OR – The agencies of the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) encourage area residents and visitors to be careful with fire this Labor Day Weekend whether they are recreating on public or private lands or spending time at home.

Each agency currently has some level of fire restrictions in place. Visitors are advised to “Know Before You Go”, planning their trip and checking current fire restrictions on the lands they plan to visit. Current fire restrictions for all five agencies can be found at www.scofmp.org. Information including alerts, current conditions and other trip planning tools for each agency can be found at:

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District – www.blm.gov/office/lakeview-district-office
Crater Lake National Park – www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm
Fremont-Winema National Forest – www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema
Oregon Department of Forestry Klamath-Lake District – www.oregon.gov/odf
Sheldon-Hart Mountain and Klamath National Wildlife Refuge Complexes – www.fws.gov/refuge/Hart_Mountain/About_the_Complex.html and www.fws.gov/refuge/Lower_Klamath/

Conditions will be hot and dry through the upcoming holiday weekend in Klamath and Lake Counties, with temperatures ranging from the 80s into the 90s during the day. Combined with dry fuels throughout the area, the risk of wildfire is extremely high right now.

The public is asked to be careful with fire or anything that can throw a spark. This includes not driving on roads with dry grass, not smoking in areas with vegetation that can ignite, and not using chainsaws or other equipment that can throw a spark.

Campfires are popular during summer camping trips, but typically after long weekends firefighters find lots of abandoned campfires.

If you have a campfire in an area permitted by the fire restrictions where you are recreating, please make sure it is dead out and cold to the touch before leaving. This includes if the fire is in a fire ring in a designated recreation area.

“We want to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend, including our firefighters,” said Deputy Interagency Fire Management Officer Bob Crumrine. “Being careful on federal, state and private lands this weekend with campfires, motorized vehicles and anything else that can spark a wildfire will help us accomplish this.”

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