8/15/15 Oregon State Forester calls on Oregonians to prevent all human-caused fires

STATE FORESTER CALLS ON OREGONIANS TO PREVENT ALL HUMAN-CAUSED FIRES

News Release from Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Posted on FlashAlert: August 15th, 2015 3:38 PM
Oregon Department of Forestry
August 15, 2015
Media Contact: Paul Ries, 503-508-0990

"Wildfire activity in Oregon has escalated significantly since Friday, particularly in eastern Oregon," said Doug Decker, Oregon State Forester. "If you couple these major fires with increasing shortages of firefighting resources and add in the extreme fire danger and conditions statewide, you can see just how critical it is to prevent the next fire."
"I'm asking every Oregonian and visitor to help us eliminate the risk of any new human-caused fire through the rest of fire season," said Decker. "Now is the time for vigilance and fire awareness."

Fire regulations are in effect across Oregon's wildlands, pertaining directly to anyone living, recreating or working there. The Department of Forestry uses its citation authority to enforce fire restrictions on lands in its jurisdiction, and investigates every fire. Liability for fire costs goes to responsible parties.

Multiple fast-moving fires have ignited in eastern Oregon in the past 48 hours. The 13,742-acre El Dorado [http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4502/] Fire, the 34,000 acre Canyon Creek Complex [http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4495/<http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4502/]%20Fire,%20the%2034,000%20acre%20Canyon%20Creek%20Complex%20[http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4495/>], the 23,000-acre Windy Ridge [http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4497/] and the 26,000-acre Cornet [http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4478/<http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4497/]%20and%20the%2026,000-acre%20Cornet%20[http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4478/>] fires are burning forest resources, threatening homes and transportation corridors, and prompting evacuations and closures. On Friday, Governor Brown invoked the Conflagration Act to mobilize structural firefighting resources for the Canyon Creek Complex of fires near John Day. Additional structural task forces have been mobilized elsewhere in the state.
* 30 second video of State Forester Doug Decker's call to Oregonians at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evoV67OztLU&feature=youtu.be

Important wildfire prevention resources:
* ODF social media for the latest #ORfire information at http://www.oregon.gov/odf/Pages/odfsocialmedia.aspx.
* Fire prevention message from Oregon Governor Kate Brown at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfcNXVJLx1k
* Interactive fire restrictions map at http://www.oregon.gov/odf/pages/fire/precautionlevelmap.aspx
* ODF prevention resources at http://www.oregon.gov/odf/Pages/fire/fire.aspx#Fire_Prevention
* Keep Oregon Green Association at http://www.keeporegongreen.org/
* ODF's Wildfire Blog at http://wildfireoregondeptofforestry.blogspot.com/