With hot weather arriving and forest vegetation drying out, Siuslaw National Forest officials raised fire danger from moderate to high and urged the public to “be extra vigilant on forested lands over the upcoming holiday weekend.”
“The Oregon Coast Range is much drier than average for this time of year and we don’t see any precipitation in the forecast,” Chris Donaldson, deputy fire staff officer with Northwest Oregon Interagency Fire Management said Thursday through a press release. “Lots of folks will likely head outside over the holiday weekend. We ask that everyone is mindful to prevent human-caused fire starts and encourage others to do the same.”
Local firefighters have already detected several small fires this year, both on and off Forest Service lands, the agency reported. Rapid responses by fire crews have kept acreage burned to a minimum. Historically, the majority of fires on the Siuslaw National Forest are human caused.
“We want people to enjoy their time outdoors and at recreation sites as they celebrate Independence Day but to remember that no fireworks are allowed on National Forest lands in Oregon,” said Rebecca Brooke, Siuslaw National Forest supervisor.
Fire restriction information is available on the Siuslaw National Forest website. Updates are also available on the agency’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.