If you’re planning a camping trip for Labor Day weekend, be prepared to leave the smores at home. Deschutes forester John Allen announced a raft of restrictions that could put on a damper on weenie roasts and kumbaya around the campfire, as well as other activities that could unwittingly spark a wildfire. Allen announced that all campfires, including stove fires will be prohibited on the Deschutes Forest except for fires in specifically designated campgrounds that have approved fire rings. Other activities that have been restricted include operation of a chainsaw (except for commercial timber operations during approved hours) the use of fireworks, explosives and the operation of welding equipment or torches.
Makes you wonder just what some folks had planned for the big Labor Day blow out weekend.
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2012.
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Hang on thar, buddy.
You wrote that, “Allen announced that all campfires, including stove fires will be prohibited on the Deschutes Forest […]”
But the linked-to page at http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/centraloregon/alerts-notices?aid=13771 says,
“Fire use restrictions go in effect on Tuesday, August 21 for the Ochoco National Forest, Crooked River National Grassland, and Prineville BLM.”
A niggle but the areas mentioned in the release are not part of the Deschutes National Forest.