Starting Saturday, the Prineville District Bureau of Land Management, the Deschutes National Forest, and the Ochoco National Forest are moving the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) to a Level IV.
This means they’ve determined the wildfire potential to be strong enough in the area to shut down all commercial and industrial permitted operations on their lands.
The fire danger rating system is based on current temperatures, precipitation, and humidity, which is then compared to historic trends to determine danger levels.
Current fire conditions in the area place it in the 98th percentile, predicting a strong chance for large fires to start and spread.
The move is an attempt to reduce the risk for wildlife, firefighting resources, and communities while dry conditions remain.
Firefighters and firefighting resources are already being used to fight a number of active wildfires throughout the northwest.
Under an IFPL Level IV, industrial permitted operations can only continue with a waiver from the Forest Service or BLM, depending on who manages the land.
Commercial and personal use woodcutting is still banned.
