Forest Services Lifts Mountain Fire Restrictions

This season's early rains have allowed the U.S. Forest Service to lift some of the fire restrictions in place for portions of the San Bernardino National Forest.

The agency announced that recreational target shooting and wood and charcoal fires would be allowed in designated areas, effective immediately. The agency also started planning its winter burn projects, to keep growth under control, according to a news release.

“While campfires and recreational shooting are being allowed in portions of the forest, we are not completely out of wildfire danger yet, and ask the public to always exercise caution and call ahead to check conditions,” San Bernardino National Forest Fire Management Officer Shawna Legarza said in the release. “The change in the weather also has allowed us to begin our winter burning program, which is one of our tools to help reduce the wildfire threat in local communities.”

Under the current fire restrictions:

• 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 agency will also begin planning and participating in prescribed burns as weather conditions allow. The burns are planned to help prevent wildfires from getting out of control.