Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) joins Oregon Department of Forestry and other local, statewide and national partners in recognizing May as Wildfire Awareness Month.
Campfires are a beloved tradition when visiting Oregon State Parks, and staff encourage visitors to enjoy them safely when and where permitted.
The first step is to check campfire restrictions before you head out. If campfires are allowed, please follow these safety tips and rangers’ instructions to reduce the risk of wildfires where campfires are allowed.
Seven tips for safe and enjoyable campfires:
- Check campfire restrictions at Oregon State Parks as well as public fire restrictions statewide.
- Only build campfires in the existing fire ring in your campsite. Fire rings are placed in areas with buffer zones and away from vegetation.
- Maintain campfire flames at or below knee height (about 2 feet high) to reduce the risk of ash and embers drifting into the trees or dry vegetation.
- Always keep water close by to safely put out campfires. Douse the flames with water and stir the embers to make sure everything is wet. The stirring step is important: ash and wood debris often maintain heat.
- Build beach campfires only where permitted on open sand and away from driftwood or vegetation. Slowly pour water on your beach fire to put it out. Pouring water too quickly can cause hot sand to fly. Don’t use sand to put out a beach fire, which insulates the coals and keeps them hot enough to burn someone even days later. Learn more at beach fire rules at Oregon State Parks website.
- For propane fire rings, use in areas without vegetation or overhanging branches. Rules for propane fire rings may vary depending on local conditions. Check with park staff.
- Make sure everyone in your campsite is familiar with campfire safety, including children. Always keep an eye on your campfire; accidental fires can start even when campers leave their fire unattended for “just a minute.”
Campfire regulations are outlined in Oregon Administrative Rules: https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewSingleRule.action?ruleVrsnRsn=322968
Education is the top priority for rule enforcement, but rangers also have the option of issuing a Class A violation for significant violations or for multiple violations with a presumptive fine of up to $400.
In addition, explosives and fireworks are not allowed in state parks or the ocean shore because they pose a danger to visitors, wildlife and the landscape. High winds, flammable vegetation and the unpredictability of fireworks create a unique hazard particularly in crowded areas.
Resources:
- Oregon Department of Forestry’s wildfire information website: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/firestats.aspx.
- Oregon State Fire Marshal’s wildfire prevention webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/education/pages/prevent-wildfires.aspx.
- Oregon Department of Emergency Management Oregon Wildfire Response and Recovery: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/
- Department of Environmental Quality Oregon Smoke Information: https://www.oregonsmoke.org/
- Oregon Department of Transportation Tripcheck for road conditions: https://tripcheck.com/
- For breaking news and information, follow the Twitter accounts and Facebook pages for Oregon State Parks, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Transportation, and Oregon Department of Emergency Management.