• Starting Friday (Sept.18), campfire restrictions will be reduced on national forest lands in most areas of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Campfires will also be allowed in metal or cement fire rings in most developed campgrounds that are open to public use on all Okanogan-Wenatchee ranger districts except for the Naches Ranger District. The reduction in campfire restrictions is due to recent weather changes and cooler nighttime temperatures, the U.S. Forest Service said in a release. Campfires will also be allowed in most summer home sites and other areas under special use permits
• Due to recent weather changes and cooler nighttime temperatures, Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPL), which govern woodcutting and other industrial activities in the national forest, will be lowered, allowing family woodcutters to cut firewood in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service said in a press release. These changes were effective Thursday (Sept. 17): Zone 680 will go to IFPL 1 and Zones 675, 609W and 609E will go to IFPL 2. IFPL will also change on the north end of the forest starting Friday (Sept. 18). Zones 678W and 684 in the Methow Valley and Tonasket Ranger Districts will be lowered to level 2 on. Under precaution level 2, woodcutters are able to cut wood in the higher elevation areas of the forest that are open to woodcutting, but they need to shut down their saws by 1 p.m. and remain at the site for one hour to watch for possible fire starts. Under precaution level 1, woodcutters can cut wood all day long but must also remain at the site for the one hour. For more information, visit https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/ifpl/IFPL.aspx.
