campfires to be limited - high fire danger

Article Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 8:48:06 PM PST

Cooking out to be limited in forest
Weekend start for ban on fires
By C.J. SCHEXNAYDER, Staff Writer
If you plan to camp in the mountains over the next few weeks, pack a lunch.

Due to extreme fire danger, officials with the U.S. Forest Service have imposed a ban on campfires and charcoal barbecues in the forest, even in developed recreation sites.

"If you can't roast marshmallows this year, look at it as one thing you've done to make sure you can next year,' said Laura Dyberg of the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council.

Mountaintop District Ranger Allison Stewart ordered the ban in light of the recent hot weather and the danger of a catastrophic fire because of the large number of trees that have died from prolonged drought and bark-beetle infestation.

"I made this decision based on the weather conditions, moisture level and, frankly, a huge outcry from the community,' Stewart said.

The ban, which goes into effect this weekend, does not cover portable gas stoves, officials said. Barbecues and campfires are still allowed in the Front Country and San Jacinto districts, where the fire danger is not as severe.

"It's better to be safe than sorry,' Stewart said. "And we want them to be able to come back here next year as well.'

More than 350,000 acres have been stricken by a combination of a too-dense growth of trees, a five-year drought and the beetle infestation.

The massive number of dead trees has created one of the most extreme fire dangers in the country.

Fire officials have been watching weather reports for the past several weeks, and their concerns have peaked with the extremely hot temperatures in the region over the past seven days.

"Summer finally got here, (and) it's come with a vengeance,' said Ron Hamilton, a meteorologist with the Forest Service.

A ridge of high pressure has caused extreme heat around Southern California, including the mountains. Since Thursday, temperatures at Big Bear Lake have matched or exceeded records.

Those conditions have dried out much of the grass and underbrush, which can easily catch fire. From there it wouldn't take much for a blaze to spread to the dead trees and engulf the forest.

"The high pressure has been pretty stubborn,' said Stan Wasowski, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Diego. "Because of that, these high temperatures have decided to stick around.'

And the weather news doesn't get any better. Moist air moving up from Mexico will smack into the heated air in the region, creating conditions likely to produce thunderstorms, Hamilton said.

That means lightning.

"The problem is that the moisture is coming after the danger of dry lightning gets here, so there will be a high fire danger through the weekend,' Hamilton said.