FIRE SEASON ENDS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd

Fire officials with the Douglas Forest Protective Agency (DFPA) will officially end fire season within the Douglas District on Monday, September 23rd, at 12:01AM. The end of fire season is a result of significant rainfall and an overall cooling trend which returned to the area.

With the end of fire season, industrial fire restrictions on DFPA protected land will no longer be in effect. DCFD#2 will allow backyard debris burning without a permit. Local burning regulations must be followed at all times.

Despite fire season coming to an end, fire officials advise residents to exercise caution when burning or using fire in the woods. Several days of sunshine and dry weather during the fall months can create a fire risk even if a week or more of rainy, cool conditions precede them. When burning yard debris, make sure to have an adequate fire trail around the pile before ignition begins and have fire tools and a water supply at the burn site. Burning may only be conducted during daylight hours, must be attended by a responsible adult and must not be left unattended. Burn piles must be fully extinguished before leaving the area. If a debris burn escapes containment, the responsible party may be held financially responsible for the resulting fire suppression costs and associated damages.

Despite fire season coming to an end, private industrial landowners and public land management agencies may still have fire restrictions in place on lands that they own or manage. Recreationalists should check with appropriate landowner or public land management agency for the location they plan to recreate at, before heading to the woods. A list of fire restrictions for private industrial landowners can be found online here.

DPFA’s 2019 fire season began on June 11th and lasted 104 days, which ranks 5th in the Association’s 108 year history for the fewest days in a declared fire season.

To date, firefighters have suppressed 101 fires which burned 13,445 acres within the Douglas District. Lightning sparked 34 wildfires that burned about 15 acres while 67 human caused fires scorched 13,430 acres, the largest of which was the Milepost 97 fire that was caused by an illegal campfire.