Bend, OR – Deschutes County officials announced that summer public use fire restrictions will take effect beginning June 1 and will remain in place until mid-October. The restrictions apply to all county-owned lands and unprotected areas within the county’s unincorporated regions, aiming to reduce the risk of wildfires during the hot and dry summer months.
“Every year since 2014, the County has enacted public use fire restrictions to help prevent the start of wildfires,” said Kevin Moriarty, Deschutes County Forester. “As we transition to warmer and drier summer weather, we’re asking the public to remain diligent and comply with these restrictions for the health and safety of our entire community.”
The new restrictions prohibit open fires of all kinds, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires, and warming fires, except in designated areas. Portable cooking stoves that use liquefied or bottled fuels will still be allowed.
Additional restrictions include a ban on smoking while traveling on unimproved roads such as gravel, dirt, or natural terrain. Chainsaw use will be prohibited daily from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., but may be allowed at other times if firefighting equipment is present and a one-hour fire watch follows the use of the saw.
Fireworks are strictly banned throughout the restricted period. Motorized vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, are also prohibited on unimproved roads, though landowners may operate vehicles on their own property if it relates to their livelihood.
Power and gas mowers, along with similar equipment, are not permitted between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., except when used for the commercial cultivation and harvest of agricultural crops.
Officials urge residents and visitors to observe these restrictions carefully to help safeguard the county’s natural resources and prevent potentially devastating wildfires.
