Vale BLM encourages hunter awareness

By Mindy Gould on Friday, August 19th, 2022 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories

VALE, Ore. – This hunting season, the Bureau of Land Management would like to offer visitors a few safety tips for navigating burned areas and preventing new fires from starting.

Many natural hazards exist in burned areas months, if not years, after the fire is out.

Dead or dying trees that remain standing after a wildfire are unstable, especially in high winds.
Burned out stumps and root systems can create pits that may be camouflaged by ash or debris.
Unstable soils and areas stripped of vegetation can result in falling rocks and landslides in dry weather or debris flows and flash floods in rainy weather.

Fire restrictions are in place across much of eastern Oregon. Make sure to abide by them. “Know before you go” by checking http://bmidc.org/restrictions.shtml.

Help prevent fires from starting on public lands by:

Keeping vehicles, trailers, ATVs, and campers maintained. Check your brakes, bearings, tires, and exhaust systems before departing.
Ensuring loads are secure and nothing is dragging. Even the metal clips on cargo straps can send a spark into dry vegetation and cause a wildfire.
Not driving, idling, or parking on dry grass. Hot exhaust systems can ignite the grass or brush.
Picking a campsite free of vegetation, which lowers the chance of starting an accidental wildfire.
Only using gasoline-powered generators and portable cooking stoves that use liquefied or bottled-gas fuels in areas cleared of vegetation for at least 10 feet in diameter.
Only smoking inside a vehicle or in areas clear of vegetation. Fully extinguish any smoking materials and never discard them in vegetation.
Reporting wildfires by calling 911.

For more information about current fire restrictions within Vale District BLM-protected lands, go to www.blm.gov/office/vale-district-office or call 541-473-3144.