High temperatures and drought conditions in Oregon mean campers need to be extra vigilant this year to prevent forest fires. Willamette National Forest officials are worried about fireworks during the upcoming 4th of July holiday.
Fireworks are prohibited on National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in Oregon and Washington. But that doesn't mean campers don’t set them off anyway. Katie Isacksen is a spokeswoman for the Willamette National Forest. She says there will be rangers and firefighters out this holiday to enforce firework bans. Fines can be as high as $5,000. She adds there isn't a campfire restriction in place yet, but…
Isacksen: "It wouldn't be surprising if we ended up there. We are actually going to a fire danger level of 'High' because of the drought conditions. And that means like finite fuels like grasses, they can ignite quickly, and fire can spread quickly from that."
Isacksen says it is very important to extinguish campfires whenever you leave your campsite and make sure to dump lots of water and stir it with a shovel.
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