Fire Restrictions To Start On BLM Lands, Including Mother Lode

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Sonora, CA – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will implement seasonal fire restrictions starting tomorrow, including in the Mother Lode.

The fire bans that begin on Wednesday on public lands managed by the BLM include Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties. The BLM advises that these restrictions are “necessary due to dry conditions and wildland fire danger.” While the winter storm brought plenty of rain and snow to the region, it also created another issue.

“The exceptionally wet winter has resulted in a significant amount of vegetation growth. As temperatures rise, leading to increasingly dry conditions in the district, it has become necessary to implement additional fire restrictions,” advises Central California District Fire Management Officer Dave Brinsfield. “We ask that visitors follow these restrictions and do their part to help us minimize fire potential when visiting public lands.”

Many fires occur in close proximity to roadways, communities, and recreational areas, posing a considerable threat to public safety, according to the BLM. With an increase in wildfire severity expected based on forecasted climate scenarios and longer fire seasons due to the drought, these fire bans provided by the BLM will remain in effect until further notice:

• No Campfires, briquette/charcoal barbeques, or stove fires are allowed outside of agency-provided fire rings or barbeques at designated developed recreation sites.
• No Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or a developed campground with a three-foot diameter area clear of brush and all flammable materials.
• No welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame.
• No motorized vehicles or tools powered by internal combustion engines off designated roads or trails.
• No target shooting, hot bullet fragments, exploding targets, and metal from recreational shooting can spark a wildfire. (Recreational target shooting has sparked more than half the wildland fires within BLM-managed public lands in the last decade.) Hunting in the pursuit of game and non-game species is allowed with a state of California hunting license and in accordance with California hunting regulations. The use of any steel-jacked, steel core, or incendiary ammunition of any caliber is prohibited.
• As always, possessing, discharging, or using fireworks or pyrotechnic devices is prohibited across Bureau of Land Management lands. Additionally, a valid California Campfire Permit is required to operate a stove or fire, where allowed, on these public lands.