July 22,013

FIRE PRECAUTION LEVELS INCREASE IN PORTIONS OF EASTERN WASHINGTON
Campfire Restrictions At Leader Lake Campground

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that, in response to increased fire danger, the Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPL) for logging and industrial operations in forested areas will be raised to avoid accidental fires in northeast Washington.

Effective 12:01 a.m., July 23, 2013, the IFPL will increase to a Level 2, called Partial Hootowl, limiting most forest industrial activities to between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. only (map):

  • Portions of Okanogan County (Zone 684)

Also, effective 12:01 a.m., July 23, 2013, campfires will be prohibited at Leader Lake Campground in Okanogan County. Due to current fire danger ratings and the predicted hot and dry weather, campfire restrictions will be implemented.

Effective 12:01 a.m., July 24, 2013, the IFPL will increase to a Level 2 :

  • Portions of Lincoln, Spokane and Stevens Counties (Zone 686)

IFPL restrictions limit the following activities and may operate only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.:

  • Power saws, except at loading sites
  • Cable yarding
  • Blasting
  • Welding or cutting of metal

Those using chainsaws in the forest, including cutting firewood, must follow certain rules:

  • Chainsaws must have approved, working exhaust systems.
  • A one-hour fire watch must follow the last use of a chainsaw.
  • A fire extinguisher, containing at least 8 ounces of retardant, must be in the immediate vicinity of where the chainsaw is used.
  • A shovel must be retrievable in two minutes or less.

DNR reminds everyone that there is a statewide burn ban in effect on all DNR-protected lands. This ban is effective from July 1, 2013, through September 30, 2013. This applies to all forestlands in Washington except for federal lands. Campgrounds may have additional burn restrictions in place. Always check with your campground host before starting a campfire.

For daily updates on burn restrictions, call 1-800-323-BURN or visit DNR’s webpage showing fire danger and burning restrictions by county: http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/firedanger/BurnRisk.aspx.

For more information regarding IFPL, please refer to http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/ifpl/IFPL.aspx.

Media Contacts:
Janet Pearce, Communications Manager, 360-902-1122, janet.pearce@dnr.wa.gov
Matt Ugaldea, Landowner Assistance Forester, 509-496-2314, matthew.ugaldea@dnr.wa.gov

2013  The NW Fire Blog