Fire officials Monday raised fire danger from “high” to “very high” on the Siuslaw National Forest as the coast range experiences historically dry conditions with no measurable precipitation since May.
Siuslaw National Forest defines very high fire danger as fires that start easily from all causes and see an immediate and rapid spread.
“Small fires can quickly become large fires and exhibit extreme fire intensity,” forest officials said in a press release. “These fires can be difficult to control and will often become much larger and longer-lasting fires.”
This summer, Oregon has seen a dramatic increase in human-caused fire starts compared to last year, officials said.
“Human-caused fires are preventable and leave firefighters with less capacity to respond to lighting fires,” the agency said.
Public use restrictions remain in effect as a way to prevent human-caused fires. All campfires, charcoal or briquette fires, pellet fires or any other open fires are prohibited outside of designated campgrounds under a forest order. (There are exemptions for sand camping campfires in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and Sand Lake Recreation Area).
Information on Siuslaw National Forest restrictions are available online. Updates are posted on the forest’s Facebook and Twitter pages.