Release Date: Feb 22, 2012
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., February 22, 2012—With recent winter weather across the southland, forest officials on the San Bernardino National Forest reduced fire restrictions effective today and will resume winter burning projects.
“We will continue to monitor the weather and fuel conditions across the landscape and change restriction levels as conditions warrant,” said Fire Prevention Officer Randy Unkovich. “We always encourage the public to be vigilant and know the current restrictions when on the national forest lands,” Unkovich added.
Under the reduced fire restrictions, visitors may have wood and charcoal fires in agency-provided campfire rings at campgrounds, picnic areas and yellow post sites. Recreational target shooting is permitted within designated sites in the Big Bear area and permitted areas on the San Jacinto Ranger District.
Current fire restriction and guidelines in effect on the San Bernardino National Forest are as follows:
- Wood and charcoal campfires are allowed only in developed campgrounds, picnic areas and Yellow Post campsites within agency-provided fire rings or designated stoves.
- Campfire permits are required for propane and gas stoves and lanterns used outside of developed recreation sites.
- Recreational shooting is limited to designated sites and public shooting ranges operated under special use permit only, except those engaged in legal hunting.
- The 1N09 Recreational Shooting area remains closed.
- An approved spark arrester is required for any internal combustion engine operated on designated forest routes. These include chainsaws, generators, motorcycles, and off-highway vehicles.
- Smoking is limited to enclosed vehicles, developed recreation sites and areas cleared of vegetation, three feet in diameter.
- Fireworks are always prohibited on the San Bernardino National Forest. Tracer, armor piercing, steel core, and Teflon ammunitions are also prohibited, as is discharging a firearm at any exploding target.
The ignition of all prescribed burns is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, appropriate conditions, and in coordination with the National Weather Service and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) before and during prescribed burns in order to manage smoke production and minimize impacts as much as possible.
Fire managers follow a burn plan that outlines the “prescription” or environmental conditions such as temperature, wind, fuel moisture, ventilation, and relative humidity that need to be present before the project begins. When the criteria are met, crews implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets the goals and objectives outlined by managers.
We appreciate the public’s tolerance of some smoke impacts in order to achieve the San Bernardino National Forest’s fire prevention and resource management goals, and the public can call our local offices to find out where we are burning at the following numbers:
- Big Bear Ranger Station & Discovery Center 909-382-2790
- Lytle Creek Ranger Station 909-382-2851
- Idyllwild Ranger Station 909-382-2922
- Mill Creek Work Center 909-382-2882
- Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument 760-862-9984
About the U.S. Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest
The San Bernardino National Forest is comprised of three Ranger Districts spanning 676,666 acres in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. From the desert floor to the pristine mountain peaks, the San Bernardino National Forest offers natural environments, spectacular scenery, developed campgrounds and picnic areas, numerous recreational opportunities, and the solitude of quiet wilderness and open space for the over 24 million residents of Southern California and those visiting the area. The forest environment also provides habitat for numerous plants and animals and is crucial in sustaining drinking water, air, and soil quality.
