A ban goes into effect tomorrow (August 29, 12:00am) for campfires outside designated campgrounds in the Willamette National Forest.
In an effort to improve visitor safety, forest officials are imposing the ban until either December 1st, or further notice. Chiara Cipriano is a spokesperson for the Willamette National Forest. She explains the current situation that’s led to this ban.
“Our fire staff has been monitoring the drier conditions late in August, and within the last 30 days, our Dispatch Center has actually responded to 48 fires across the forests of the Willamette," Cipriano told KLCC.
"That’s nearly two fires per day.”
Cipriano said the recent Claggett Fire that burned two acres in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness area is an example of an unattended fire that escaped its ring. She encouraged campers to use two gallons of water to extinguish their fires, pouring and stirring until the ashes are cold.
Information on where campers can have campfires in the Willamette National Forest can be found here.
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