It’s OK to gather around the campfire on a cool autumn night in the Mendocino National Forest once again, after the U.S. Forest Service lifted fire restrictions there this week.
As of Wednesday, the Forest Service will now allow campfires, fuel stoves, lanterns and heating devices on forest land. Valid campfire permits are required for visitors to have open campfires or camp stoves outside of designated campgrounds.
Wet weather, longer nights and cooler temperatures, all which reduce wildfire risk, are cited by the service as the reason for lifting restrictions.
Despite the decrease in fire risk, the service warns that wildfires can still start if visitors do not practice fire safety or act responsibly.
What you can do
The Forest Service offers the following tips to ensure fire safety:
• Campfires: Attend your campfire at all times. Ensure your fire is completely extinguished — drown with water (not dirt), stir with your shovel, drown again and feel for any heat using the back of your hand. Continue this process until no heat remains.
• Stoves: If using pressurized or bottled liquid fuel stoves, lanterns, or heating devices, use in barren areas with at least three feet of clearance from grasses and other debris that may catch fire. Prevent stoves from tipping.
• Vehicles: When traveling, ensure your chains are properly connected. The hot underside of the vehicle and dragging chains can start a fire. Stick to driving on designated roads and trails and be careful not to park your vehicle in tall, dry vegetation, including grass.
• Spark arrestors: Ensure that all internal or external combustion engines have a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order.
• Smoking: Extinguish all smoking materials dead-out on bare soil. Pack out all cigarette butts and filters.
• Fireworks: Fireworks are prohibited in all national forests year-round. Leave them and all other pyrotechnic devices at home.
Campfire permits can be acquired at readyforwildfire.org. The U.S. Forest Service also maintains a website with information on forest alerts, orders and recreation.
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