fire pit restrictions and regulations

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 20:14:53 GMT

We are in the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon at Elk Lake. For many years (60+) we were allowed campfires in our fire pits until the ranger closed the local FS campgrounds. Then just a few years ago a new ranger told us he was putting homeowners and their outdoor fires in the same category as dispersed camping fires in our forest. That means that we are restricted from having campfires when he closes the forest to outside fires except for FS campgrounds. This has meant we can watch fires around the lake in the campgrounds, but are not allowed to build them at our long established firepits at our summer homes for a month or more past closure for dispersed camping. Closure for us has happened in the last few years in July, but the FS campgrounds allow fires, generally, through sometime in August or even Sept. Most of us have hoses available at the fire pits, everyone keeps a bucket available, and puts out their fires when done.

Has anyone else experienced this, and have you found solutions that keep your homes in the same category as local FS campgrounds, such as establishing guidelines for even safer fire pits at our summer homes? No fires in our forest have ever been associated with a cabin owner's firepit burning out of control or unwatched, at least to my knowledge.

Leslie Skelton

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:34:56 GMT

Camp fire restrictions may vary by forest as there is no national standard that I'm aware of. For most forests, a Stage 1 fire restriction prohibits all camp fires, except those in approved fire rings in developed recreation sites. Fire rings generally refer to fire enclosures with metal sides to to contain a fire (various shapes). Recreation Residence tracts are considered developed recreation sites, similar to most camp grounds, so as a general rule the same fire restriction guidelines apply to both cabin tracts and campgrounds. Whether your fire pits are considered equivalent to an approved fire ring is potentially subject to the local Rangers opinion. My forest (Okanogan-Wenatchee) consistently groups recreation residence tracts with camp grounds when announcing camp fire restrictions. For most summer seasons, our forest imposes a Stage 1 restriction early in the summer, then as the risks of wildfire increase, moves to a Stage 2 restriction later in the summer, prohibiting all camp fires, regardless of the site.

I think the key point to make with your ranger is disbursed camping by definition is camping in undeveloped locations on the forest, while cabin tracts are developed recreation sites and should be treated the same as developed camp ground sites.

Doug Gann
NFH Immediate Past President

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:42:59 GMT

Thanks for info. We used to be treated just as you describe for your forest. We have raised the issue of "approved fire rings" again. It helps to know the specifics you shared. I am fully supportive of reducing fire danger. We lost our family cabin 20 years ago to fire.