UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST – (Umatilla National Forest press release)
Forest officials have lifted portions of the temporary closure of land, trails and roads in the North Fork John Day and Heppner Ranger Districts, which were imposed due to the nearby Battle Mountain Complex, Double Stump Fires And Lonely rock fire.
The change to the temporary closure areas opens all campgrounds and trails east of Highway 395 and north of Forest Service Road 53 on the west side of the NFJD and the northeast corner of the Heppner Ranger District. The new temporary Forest Order 06-14-00-24-04 will take effect on Monday, August 12, 2024 and will replace Forest Orders 06-14-02-24-02, 06-14-05-24-01, and 06-14-05-24-03. The revised closure area will continue to keep all U.S. Forest Service properties, roads, and trails within the boundaries of the NFJD and Heppner Ranger Districts west of Highway 395 and south of FSR 53 temporarily closed due to ongoing fire behavior and fire suppression efforts on Lonely Rock And Fires in the Battle Mountain complex.
Descriptions and maps of closures in the Umatilla National Forest can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5286768.
For more information about the fires, see
• Battle Mountain Complex: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/or97s-battle-mountain-complex
• Lonely Rock Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orprd-lone-rock-fire
The Umatilla National Forest will announce additional changes to the temporarily closed areas as soon as possible. The temporary closures will be continually evaluated and lifted as the unprecedented conditions ease.
With parts of our forests affected by wildfires this summer, be aware of the dangers associated with recently burned areas when temporary closures are lifted. A burned area may contain stumps, loose rocks, and logs that are unpredictable and create hazards. In addition, burned vegetation can also contribute to landslides, mudslides, and erosion when it rains. The ground in a burned area may also be unstable due to burned-out roots.
The fire department would like to remind everyone that the current fire danger still exists at EXTREME There are also restrictions on public use regarding campfires, the use of chainsaws, smoking and driving off-road.
For further information on restrictions please contact:
Umatilla National Forest:
Information Hotline: Toll Free (877) 958-9663
www.facebook.com/UmatillaNF
X: @UmatillaNF
The latest fire information is posted on the Blue Mountains Fire Information Blog. For up-to-date information on fires in the Blue Mountains, follow our blog at http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/.
For more information about the Umatilla National Forest, visit: http://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.
