Fire restrictions are in effect beginning today on more than a million acres in Douglas County. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.
The Douglas Forest Protective Association (DFPA) protects lands that are private, county, state, or run by the Bureaus of Indian Affairs, and Land Management.
Kyle Reed is the Fire Prevention Specialist for the DFPA. He says the damp and prolonged winter delayed the announcement of fire season by a few days. But now residents are required to comply with restrictions.
“Under state law, the use of exploding targets and tracer ammunition are prohibited," says Reed. "Backyard debris burning is now prohibited, unless you have a burn permit. So we’ll be issuing burn permits until July 1 st.
"Permits from DFPA are free of charge but we do require an on-site inspection so we send a forest officer out ahead of time to look at a site, make sure it’s safe, just give a little bit of a prevention talk.”
Commercial and industrial operations also have to observe restrictions and precautions now.
Reed says fire season typically wraps up in October, when the weather gets cool and rainy again. He adds so far this year, 14 fires have already occurred on DFPA land, burning 65 acres.
Copyright 2017, KLCC.
Copyright 2017 KLCC
