The Vale District of the Bureau of Land Management ended fire restrictions on Sept. 21, which allows campfires, along with cross-country vehicle travel in certain areas.

“After the recent rain events, fire danger is now moderate across most BLM lands in Eastern Oregon; however, we are not quite out of the woods yet,” said Al Crouch, fire mitigation specialist for the Vale District. “We will dry out again and fire danger levels may rise to high for short periods of time, especially during sunny, warm, and breezy fall days.”

Crouch advises hunters and other visitors to continue to be careful with any source of sparks. “It’s always good practice to avoid sparks that start fires by not operating vehicles and other equipment in dry grass, shooting safely when target shooting by avoiding dry grass, knowing before you go and being prepared,” Crouch said.

Being prepared includes carrying a shovel at least 26 inches in length with at least an eight-inch blade, and a one-gallon container of water or a fully charged 2.5-pound fire extinguisher; maintaining engines to prevent sparks from shooting out the exhaust; equipping motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles used on public lands with a properly functioning and approved spark arrestor; and ensuring vehicle and trailer tires are not worn, bearings and axles are greased, and safety chains are properly in place and not dragging on the ground.

So far this year, the number of human-caused fires on the Vale District is below the 10-year average.

“Lowering the risk of wildfires is a team effort,” Crouch said. “Thank you for supporting our firefighters and helping to protect our public lands and our local communities.”