With hot, dry weather persisting through most of July, restrictions on campfires and chain saw use are escalating on public land across Northeastern Oregon.

All open fires, including campfires in fire rings and charcoal briquette fires, are banned on the Bureau of Land Management’s Vale District and the Owyhee Dam area, which is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.

Stoves and heaters that burn liquid or bottled gas, including propane fire pits, are allowed.

Campfires are allowed only in campgrounds and other designated recreation sites on the three national forests in the Blue Mountains, Wallowa-Whitman, Umatilla and Malheur. The campfire restriction includes wood stoves and charcoal briquette fires. A list of recreation areas is available on each national forest’s website.

“We can’t change the weather, but we can change our behavior, which reduces the risk of human-caused wildfires,” said Al Crouch, fire mitigation specialist for the Vale District. “We urge everyone to implement fire safe practices immediately.”

Staying on developed, designated roadways and park in areas barren of flammable materials.

In addition to the campfire restriction, the Malheur National Forest has increased the industrial fire precaution level from 1 to 2. That means firewood cutters can use chain saws only after 8 p.m. and before 1 p.m. daily.

The fire precaution level remains at 1 on the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman, which means firewood cutters don’t have time restrictions on when they can use chain saws if they have a personal use or commercial woodcutting permit.