Fire restrictions go into effect Saturday

Due to drying vegetation, increasing daytime temperatures and several human-caused fires, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Public Domain Allotments, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announce the implementation of fire restrictions on all lands under their jurisdiction effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday and lasting until further notice.

Vegetation in western Nevada and eastern California is significantly more then we’ve seen in previous years partly because of the wet spring and the abundance of last year’s grass crop. Warmer than average temperatures have increased the rate of vegetation dry-out. A large crop of grass and brush is evident at lower elevations and trees and other forest vegetation at higher elevations is quickly drying out. People are encouraged to safely enjoy the public lands, bearing in mind human-caused fires threaten human life, private property and public land resources every summer.

The potential for devastating fires during the summer is real. Report fires to the Sierra Front Interagency Fire Dispatch Center, Minden, 775-883-5995 or dial 911.

Fire restrictions prohibit the following:

Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire (using wood, charcoal or any other material), campfire or stove fire except a portable stove using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel outside of a developed fee campground or picnic area (except by permit).

Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or at a developed campground or picnic area.

Operating vehicles or other motorized equipment off of existing paved, gravel or dirt roads.

Welding or operating an acetylene torch with open flames, except by permit.

Using or causing to be used, any explosive, except by permit.

Possession or use of fireworks or any other incendiary device.

Use of tracer rounds (always prohibited), steel-core ammunition, or exploding targets, including Binary Explosive Targets while recreational shooting.

All agencies recommend when operating vehicles or equipment traveling on or using wildland areas to have at least an ax, shovel and one gallon of water and to carry cell phones while in the wildlands or national forests to report wildfires.

Affected areas include the following:

BLM – All areas, roads and trails on the BLM-Carson City District outside of developed recreation sites with the exception of Sand Mountain Recreation Area

BIA - All lands administered by the BIA located within or adjacent to the BLM NV Carson City District. Approximately 300 allotments encompassing 59,310 acres in Douglas County, within the Carson Watershed the U.S. Government (BIA) holds in trust for hundreds of individual Native American landowners, collectively known as the Pine Nut Allotments.

USFWS - All areas, roads and trails within the boundaries of the Stillwater, Anaho Island and Fallon National Wildlife Refuges. Campfires are prohibited on these refuge lands year-round.

As fire season continues the BLM, BIA and USFWS will be aggressively citing those who don’t comply with the posted restrictions. Violation of these prohibitions is subject to punishment by a fine and/or imprisonment (agency statutes vary). Persons may also be responsible for resource damage, suppression costs and any injuries that occur if they’re found liable for causing a wildfire.